Mira Thornvale

Five years ago, Serena Shi was declared dead—burned, disgraced, and erased by the man she loved. Framed for a crime orchestrated by her own sister, forced to abandon her newborn daughter, and exiled under a false name, Serena vanished from Rainport and its cold, glittering towers.

Now, she's back.

Not as a victim, but as a partner at one of the world’s most powerful law firms. Her mission is clear: reclaim custody of the daughter who was buried with her name, expose the lies that destroyed her life, and dismantle the algorithm that coded her death into corporate profit.

But fate—or something programmed to look like it—has other plans.

Julian Lu, her former husband and the CEO of LuTech, never recovered from losing Serena. When she resurfaces with a child who looks just like him and evidence that his empire is built on betrayal, he must choose: destroy the system he was born to lead or lose Serena all over again.

This is not just a story of second chances.
It's a war between law and love, data and destiny, guilt and grace.
And this time, no one walks away without answering to the truth.

Return Under a New Sky

**Outside Rainport – Abandoned Glass Factory, Midnight**


Julian slammed the hood of the SUV. “No signal jammers. Her trail ends here.”


Serena studied the darkened structure. “Vivian’s old business shell. She manufactured control—even her hiding places reflect that.”


Cracked windows. Rusted beams. Dust motes in the flickering emergency lights.


Willow stood inside a glass furnace chamber, arms bound, surrounded by heat sensors and wires. Red lights blinked in rhythm.


Serena’s eyes widened. “She’s rigged it. If anything spikes Julian’s vitals, it triggers ignition.”


Julian swore under his breath. “So if I panic, she burns.”


A voice echoed from the catwalks above.


“Poetic, isn’t it?” Vivian’s heels clanged against metal. “Your love kills her. Your regret fuels the fire.”


Serena stepped forward. “Let her go, Vivian. This ends now.”


Vivian raised her pistol. “You don’t get to dictate endings.”


Chapter 15 – Through Fire and Glass