The plot takes place in a fictional city called Vale do Café, where two powerful families, the Toledo and Fontes, are locked in an intense dispute for power and land ownership. Conflicts are marked by betrayals, forbidden loves and dark secrets. The soap opera addresses themes such as ambition, revenge, romance and conflicts between families, showing the fire that consumes the land and human relationships.

In the tiny poor town of Asa Branca, in the middle of Brazilian Northeast, Roque Santeiro is worshiped as a saint. He was supposedly killed by a bandit, 18 years ago, trying to save the local church. After his disappearance, local leaderships such as landowner Sinhozinho Malta and mayor Florindo, took profit on that to control the humble population. They even make up a widow, Porcina, who should have married Roque secretly before his death. What they don't expect is that Roque is alive, and he's back to, allegedly, "save his people". Now Malta, Florindo, Porcina, and others must hold him down and explain the "truth" to their commoners, in a desperate attempt to save their own bottoms. Meanwhile, mysterious facts surround Asa Branca, such as a Werewolf, a film crew who are trying to shoot a movie about Roque's story, and violent murderers.

Cecília is in love with Eduardo, a millionaire who doesn't care about their relationship. Ready for a new direction in life, she ends the relationship and goes to work as a flight attendant in New York. Later, she returns to win back her love, but things are not the same anymore.