Anora “Ani” Mikheeva, a 23-year-old stripper, lives in Brighton Beach, a Russian-American enclave in Brooklyn, New York City. She works at a strip club to support herself, navigating the often-hostile environment of her profession. One evening, her boss introduces her to Ivan “Vanya” Zakharov, the privileged son of Russian oligarch Nikolai Zakharov. Vanya, who is in the U.S. ostensibly for his studies, spends most of his time indulging in the luxuries afforded by his family’s wealth, partying in high-end clubs and hosting extravagant gatherings at their Brooklyn mansion.
Vanya, immediately taken with Ani, hires her for private encounters. He enjoys her company and soon offers her $15,000 to stay with him for a week. Though Ani is skeptical, she accepts, drawn in by his charm and the financial security he offers. Their time together escalates when they take an impromptu trip to Las Vegas. In a moment of rebellion against his controlling parents and his dissatisfaction with Russian society, Vanya proposes marriage. Despite her initial reservations, Ani agrees, and they elope in a spontaneous ceremony at a wedding chapel.
Returning to New York, Ani quits her job and moves into Vanya’s mansion, embracing her new role as his wife. However, their union is short-lived. When news of their marriage reaches Russia, Vanya’s mother, Galina, enraged by his impulsive decision, orders his Armenian godfather, Toros, to handle the situation. Toros, a ruthless and pragmatic enforcer for the Zakharov family, is instructed to retrieve Vanya and secure an annulment before the scandal damages the family’s reputation. Nikolai and Galina board a flight to the U.S. while Toros sends his men, Garnik and Igor, to Vanya’s home.
At the mansion, Garnik and Igor deliver their message. They inform Vanya that his parents demand his return to Russia and deride Ani, labeling her a prostitute and implying that the marriage was nothing more than a scheme for a green card. Enraged, Ani fights back, physically and verbally. Vanya, sensing the inevitable, attempts to escape, while Ani is subdued and restrained. When Toros arrives, he lectures her on the reality of Vanya’s life—his immaturity, his reliance on his father’s wealth, and his lack of true independence. Stripping her of her wedding ring, he offers her $10,000 to dissolve the marriage. Ani, torn between her belief in their love and the overwhelming power of Vanya’s family, agrees to help locate him.
That night, accompanied by Toros, Garnik, and Igor, Ani searches for Vanya throughout Brooklyn. Her contacts inform her that he is at her former workplace, drunk and entertaining himself with another stripper. They retrieve him, but he is too intoxicated to be reasoned with. The group forces him to wait outside the courthouse until morning to finalize the annulment. However, due to legal complications, the annulment is dismissed since the marriage took place in Nevada, adding another layer of difficulty for the Zakharovs.
The next confrontation occurs at the airport, where Ani meets Nikolai and Galina in person. She addresses them in Russian, attempting to assert her presence, but Galina dismisses her outright. Vanya, under immense pressure from his family, coldly tells Ani that their marriage cannot continue. The Zakharovs then order their entourage onto a private plane to Las Vegas to push for an annulment under Nevada’s jurisdiction. In a last-ditch effort, Ani threatens to file for a divorce settlement since no prenuptial agreement was signed. However, Galina swiftly counteracts, threatening to ruin Ani financially and socially if she dares to fight back. Recognizing both the futility of resistance and Vanya’s cowardice in the face of his parents’ authority, Ani concedes and signs the annulment papers.
With the formalities completed, Igor suggests that Vanya should at least offer an apology to Ani. Galina, ever dismissive, refuses to allow it. Before leaving, Ani delivers one final blow—she tells Galina that Vanya’s true motivation for marrying her was not love but defiance against his mother. Her words linger as she walks away, leaving behind the life she had momentarily stepped into.
Igor is tasked with escorting Ani back to New York to collect her belongings. She spends one last night at the mansion, where unresolved tensions surface. She confronts Igor about their earlier altercation, accusing him of assault and stating that had they been alone, he would have gone further—an accusation he staunchly denies. Despite their adversarial relationship, Igor fulfills his duty. The following morning, he hands her the promised money and drives her home. In a surprising act of goodwill, he returns her wedding ring, acknowledging her ordeal.
As they travel, the atmosphere shifts. Ani, emotionally exhausted, initiates an intimate encounter with Igor, an act fueled by desperation rather than affection. When he attempts to kiss her, she recoils, the weight of everything that has happened crashing down on her. She breaks down in his arms, sobbing, releasing the pain, betrayal, and disillusionment she had held inside. Igor, a man who has only ever known control and intimidation, can do nothing but hold her as she cries.
The film closes with Ani returning to her old life, forever changed by her brief yet tumultuous marriage to Vanya. She walks away with a deeper understanding of power, wealth, and the unyielding forces of family influence, leaving behind the illusion of fairy-tale romance in favor of a more hardened reality.