"Les liaisons dangereuses" by Choderlos de Laclos is an epistolary novel published in 1782. Through 175 letters, two former lovers and master manipulators—the Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil—orchestrate elaborate seductions among French nobility. She plots to corrupt an innocent young woman for revenge, while he pursues a virtuous married woman. United in manipulation yet rivals in ambition, they skillfully deceive those around them while preserving their reputations. But their dangerous game of masks has consequences.