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

**Rainport Federal Court – 9:02 a.m.**


“Now calling **Orion & Graves v. LuTech Industries** to preliminary hearing.”


Serena remained off-camera, seated in a closed witness room behind a soundproof partition. Her voice, pre-recorded and voice-modulated, piped into the courtroom like crystal static.


“Good morning, Your Honor. This is Lead Counsel Serena Shi presenting for the Plaintiff.”


The judge blinked. “Is... this a remote AI feed?”


Grace Lin rose. “For the safety of our lead, we’re invoking anonymity protocols under Whistleblower Clause 4.9.”


Julian sat at the defense table, jaw tight, gaze locked on the screen displaying charts Serena had prepared—algorithmic dominances, revenue manipulation, consumer lockouts. Her voice was masked, but her cadence was unmistakable.


Chapter 6 – Courtroom Crossfire