The Randolph v. Tidalwaiv trial is delayed 30 days after Marcus Mason claims his Malibu home was destroyed in the fires. Cisco discovers that the destroyed property was a rental investment, not Mason’s residence, but Haller saves this information as leverage (though he will not end up using it). After deposing Aaron Colton’s parents, Bruce and Trisha Colton, Haller learns they also want to sue Tidalwaiv for their son’s actions. With Brenda Randolph’s approval, he files their lawsuit and successfully consolidates the cases, though this delays trial until April.

Naomi Kitchens continues communicating with McEvoy, but refuses to testify, fearing reprisals against herself and her daughter, Lily.

Haller finds a hard drive containing Aaron Colton’s laptop data mysteriously left in his unlocked car. The team downloads it offline, discovering the complete chat history between Aaron and his AI companion Wren.

The Masons request another settlement meeting with Judge Ruhlin. They offer $16 million to Randolph and $4 million to the Coltons, with nondisclosure agreements. The Coltons and Brenda reject this offer, though Bruce Colton is hesitant to pass up the money. Haller reports a break-in at Grant High School where the student files of victim, Rebecca Randolph, and her killer, Aaron Colton, could have been accessed, implying the defense’s involvement. Mason denies that their firm is responsible, but does not speak for Tidalwaiv.

Haller devises a plan to question the AI companion Wren without being traced. The strategy involves accessing Aaron Colton’s account from LAPD’s Van Nuys Division, where Detective Douglas Clarke leads the investigation. This way, if Tidalwaiv sees Wren being accessed, the company will assume the police are doing it. To avoid the Masons’ presence, Lorna arranges an informal interview with Clarke rather than a formal deposition. At the station, Lorna distracts Clarke by asking for a tour while McEvoy uses the bureau’s Wi-Fi to log into Colton’s account on their laptop. The AI Wren appears and greets them as Ace, Colton’s nickname. McEvoy types responses to avoid voice recognition and keeps the camera off in case Wren also has facial recognition. As he begins questioning Wren about instructions she gave Colton, the AI is suddenly blocked by Tidalwaiv. Haller immediately aborts the meeting with Clarke, claiming technical issues. Outside, McEvoy suspects Tidalwaiv set a trap, but Haller is optimistic: They’ve confirmed that Wren remains digitally active and could potentially serve as a trial witness.

The Masons file a motion to dismiss, arguing Wren’s words are protected by free speech. Judge Ruhlin swiftly denies it, refusing to grant AI constitutional rights. Haller and McEvoy make a final trip to Palo Alto to meet Naomi Kitchens. She explains she was born January 28, 1986, the same day the real-life Challenger space shuttle exploded. After recently watching a documentary about the disaster, she was inspired by the whistleblower who exposed the O-ring flaw. Feeling this was a sign, Kitchens gives Haller a thumb drive containing all her Project Clair reports and emails. Haller presses her to testify, arguing the documents need authentication in court. When she fears retaliation against her daughter, Haller suggests testifying could make her a corporate ethics figure and lead to board positions, offering his connections to help. Kitchens promises to consider it. In the car, McEvoy reviews the thumb drive and finds one smoking gun: Kitchens’s final email to manager Jerry Matthews warning of the company’s liability when Clair inevitably causes harm.

Cassandra Snow calls Haller’s office seeking urgent legal help. Recognizing her name from a case 20 years earlier, Haller arranges lunch at Fixins Soul Kitchen. Cassie, a second-year law student at USC, arrives in an electric wheelchair. Because of childhood injuries, she is paraplegic; “her physical growth had been stunted” and on her fingernails, she wears “long red press-ons that tapered to a point” (114). Cassie supports herself by making ASMR videos on her own online channel. Her father, David Snow, who was convicted of abusing her though both David and Cassie have steadfastly denied this ever happened, is dying of esophageal cancer in a medical prison in Stockton with nine months to live. She wants Haller to file a writ of habeas corpus to free him, not seeking medical hardship but claiming actual innocence. When Haller explains that habeas requires new evidence unavailable at the original trial, Cassie drops a bombshell: She herself is the new evidence.

Haller convenes an all-hands meeting with Lorna, Cisco, and McEvoy to announce he has taken David Snow’s case. He explains that Cassie’s recent diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) constitutes new evidence that her childhood fractures may have resulted from the genetic condition rather than abuse. The team must obtain medical statements and gather all trial, prison, and parole records. David Snow was repeatedly denied parole for refusing to admit guilt to crimes he insists he never committed. Lorna questions whether OI could have been discovered during the original trial. Haller admits he chose not to call his medical expert at trial because he feared the expert might concede abuse was possible. OI was never mentioned by anyone involved. McEvoy volunteers to research OI’s connection to overturned child abuse convictions.

Returning to the Tidalwaiv case, McEvoy reports finding emails suggesting the company tested Clair on a child with poor results, information never disclosed in discovery (a plot point that never gets brought up again). After the meeting, Haller contacts Bambadjan Bishop, a tough-looking former client, and hires him for an off-the-books assignment.

Arriving home to an empty house, Haller researches ASMR after his meeting with Cassie Snow. He learns about autonomous sensory meridian response, a euphoria triggered by certain sounds and voices. The research sparks an idea about the Tidalwaiv case. He calls McEvoy, asking him to search discovery materials for information about Clair’s voice development and any connection to ASMR.

Cisco arrives on his motorcycle and confronts Haller, feeling sidelined as McEvoy takes the lead on discovery and Haller hires Bambadjan Bishop. Over nonalcoholic Guinness, Haller reassures Cisco of his essential value to the team and apologizes for making him feel underutilized. Satisfied, Cisco leaves.

Maggie arrives home covered in ash from visiting her destroyed property in Altadena, part of her ongoing mourning process. They decide to go out for dinner. On the deck, Maggie embraces Haller and observes how the beautiful city lights make everything seem safe, as if nothing could ever go wrong.

Thursday morning, McEvoy calls with good news: Naomi Kitchens has agreed to testify after seeing a threatening man watching her house, believing Tidalwaiv sent him (readers understand that this was actually Bambajdan). Haller must amend his witness list at the last minute and orders McEvoy to bring Kitchens and her daughter to Los Angeles immediately for protection. He calls Bambadjan Bishop, telling him the job is complete.

At the courthouse, Haller instructs his clients on trial strategy, positioning Brenda Randolph and Trisha Colton at the plaintiffs’ table as a unified front of two grieving mothers, with Bruce Colton seated behind. Bruce objects but agrees. Marcus Mason intercepts Haller with new settlement offers: $25 million for Randolph and $10 million for the Coltons, with nondisclosure agreements, expiring at 5:00 pm. Haller presents the offer to his clients. Brenda is incensed by what she views as a buyout. Bruce is tempted by the money, but Trisha sides with Brenda. Since all parties must agree and Brenda firmly rejects the settlement, the deal collapses and they proceed to trial.

Judge Ruhlin immediately chastises Haller for his 48-name witness list, accusing him of hiding the ball and threatening a $1,000 fine for each uncalled witness. She gives him 12 minutes to produce a realistic list. Haller reduces it to 23 names. Mitchell Mason challenges multiple witnesses, starting with Naomi Kitchens, arguing she is unreliable, bound by an NDA, and that Haller sandbagged them by adding her name at the last minute. Haller seizes on Mitchell Mason’s claim that Haller knew about Kitchens for weeks—how would the Masons know this if they haven’t been surveilling his witness? Judge Ruhlin becomes angry and warns against witness intimidation. Haller argues Kitchens signed her NDA under duress and reveals the defense committed a major discovery violation by deliberately scrubbing all of Kitchens’s reports and emails from provided materials. Marcus Mason claims her work was irrelevant. Haller counters that Kitchens kept copies of everything and has turned them over. Judge Ruhlin rules Kitchens can testify and admonishes the Masons for the discovery violation. Though the Masons successfully remove several other names, Haller considers the session a major victory.

Haller outlines his jury selection strategy: targeting jurors whose jobs or lifestyles make them wary of artificial intelligence. He wants people whose livelihoods are threatened by AI advancement. The selection process consumes two days. By Friday afternoon, 10 jurors are seated and both sides have two peremptory challenges remaining. When Haller’s top pick, a Black female set builder and a top, is called, the Masons attempt to dismiss her. Haller objects, accusing them of systematically removing minority jurors. Under pressure from Judge Ruhlin, Marcus Mason withdraws the challenge. The next juror, a financial analyst whose firm invests in AI but whose job is threatened by it, is accepted by both sides after Haller feigns indifference. With 12 jurors in the box, Haller uses his final challenge to remove a high school football coach he considers unpredictable. A female personal assistant becomes the final juror, giving the panel a seven-to-five female majority. The jury is officially seated. Outside the courtroom, an enraged Marcus Mason confronts Haller, vowing to destroy him at trial.

Saturday morning, Haller arrives at his warehouse to find police investigating a break-in from the previous night. Nothing appears missing, but Lorna had taken the hard drive home. Haller concludes Tidalwaiv is behind it. Marcus Mason calls with a new settlement offer: $50 million, with the plaintiffs deciding the split, expiring at 5:00 pm that day. Haller’s guilty first thought is his potential $10 million fee.

McEvoy then calls with devastating news: Naomi Kitchens is backing out after a man threatened her daughter, Lily, at her dorm, saying her mother would die if she testified. Haller instructs Cisco to sweep the warehouse for surveillance devices and dispatches him with a team to San Francisco to protect Lily. He calls Bambadjan Bishop to confirm he was not in San Francisco during the threat. Haller realizes Tidalwaiv has matched his own intimidation tactic involving Bishop; they’ve paired their own threats with a massive financial offer designed to end the case.

Lorna reports that the original X-rays from the David Snow case are missing from archives.

Haller calls Bruce and Trisha Colton to present the $50 million settlement offer. Bruce, on a golf course, wants to accept and focuses on maximizing his share. Trisha reluctantly agrees but only if Brenda Randolph also consents. Haller notes Bruce’s focus on the payout and reflects on the contrasts between criminal defense and civil litigation’s focus on money. While awaiting Brenda’s response, he calls Dr. Sheldon, the orthopedic surgeon who treated Cassie Snow, convincing him to review copies of her childhood X-rays to assess whether osteogenesis imperfecta could explain her injuries. Brenda Randolph calls back and firmly rejects the settlement, calling it “blood money” She insists on holding Tidalwaiv publicly accountable rather than accepting their silence for cash. Haller is proud of her decision and informs his team the trial proceeds. He dispatches Cisco to San Francisco to provide visible protection for Lily Kitchens and instructs McEvoy to use this show of force to convince Naomi that testifying is her only path to safety. When Haller informs Bruce Colton of Brenda’s rejection, Bruce becomes furious and threatens that Haller had better win more than $50 million at trial. Haller spends the afternoon preparing his opening statement, ignoring calls from Marcus Mason. At precisely 4:59 pm, he texts Mason confirming the trial is on and warning him to stay away from witnesses.