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Chapter 117
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 118
At the thought of getting Ethan’s help, Stephen instantly perked up.However, after thinking about how the people from the government headquarters had contacted Ethan before for help, Stephen grew disappointed again. “Will he really help?”He was not confident. “Maybe I should just forget about it.”Putting aside whether or not Ethan would help, he felt embarrassed simply asking Ethan for help.He was part of the Quinns, a prominent and influential family from Metropolis, whereas Ethan was just an orphan raised by someone unknown, with no power and background. He was just an ordinary person.If it was revealed that he went to Ethan for help, he would become a laughingstock.“Let’s think of something else. As the saying goes, where there’s a will, there’s a way. There must be something I can do.”Stephen unlocked his phone.Online, the situation between Howard and Stephen was still trending. Many were feeling guilty about Howard. Howard had protected Seaside City for three yea
The Guardian's Return Chapter 119
Stephen wiped the sweat from his forehead, swallowing hard. The situation was way worse than he had expected.Discussions about him were everywhere online, demanding him to come forward and tell the truth.“No. This can’t go on. I have to ask Ethan for help!”Stephen was frightened. He thought he could find a way to solve the problem, but after reading the comments online, he gave up on that idea.He quickly took out his phone and called Simon.The call soon connected.“Dad, I have an idea.” Stephen said, “I’m thinking of asking Ethan for help.”“Ethan?” Simon frowned. “Why Ethan?”Soon, it clicked. The situation started because of Ethan and Howard, so it could be easily resolved if Ethan intervened. The easiest way would be for Ethan to have Howard say that everything was false and was just lies that Dennis and he orchestrated. That way, Stephen would be completely off the hook. Since Howard would never return to the country anyway, there would be no consequences for him.“
The Guardian's Return Chapter 120
All Stephen could do was have his bodyguards chase away the reporters as he quickly boarded his flight.It was dark when he returned to Riveria, and as soon as he stepped out of the airport, he saw Rachel waiting for him outside. Instead of saying anything, he quickly got into the car.When he walked over, he could feel many people watching him. Even from several dozen meters away, he thought he could hear them pointing at him.Stephen did not dare to linger.“Let’s go home.”With that, Rachel drove him back to the villa. Once home, Stephen finally let out a long breath.Rachel handed him a glass of water and asked, “Are you okay, darling?”“I’m fine.”Although that was what Stephen said, he felt bitter inside.George, who was also there, asked, “What’s your plan now?”He, too, felt helpless about the situation in Seaside City. To fix those issues would require a lot of effort.At that moment, he could not help but miss Ethan again. Nothing like that ever happened when Eth
The Guardian's Return Chapter 121
“You should be visiting the doctor instead of coming to me. I can’t do anything about your condition,” Ethan said while putting his book down. He knew about Seaside City and why Stephen came to him. Hence, when he spoke, his words carried two meanings.The first interpretation was literal: Stephen should see a doctor for his cough instead of coming here. The second was more subtle: Stephen needed to learn how to deal with the problems he had caused, rather than seeking help from him. Stephen, unfortunately, did not understand Ethan. His expression turned bitter as he sat down on the couch. “I’m here with good news.” Ethan had a look at his face and said, “Hm. I guess it’s really good news. It explains why you have that look on your face.” “We have decided to let you go,” Stephen said with a cold grunt. Then, he stared at Ethan, hoping to see excitement or gratitude, but all he saw was an expressionless face. “You seem awfully calm knowing that you can leave.” Stephen coul
The Guardian's Return Chapter 122
If Shawn Hill, Eric Morningstar, Brandon North, Dennis Lewis, and Howard Green were already leaving Stephen with no way out, what about the big players in the pool? People like the South Regent wanted to dye the entire province in its own blood. Stephen, who still had no idea how serious the situation had gotten, got up and bellowed, “You know what Howard did. Why can’t you talk to him? Is it that hard for you to help? You know Dennis is a ticking time bomb and what Howard has contributed, yet you say nothing. “You’re actually partially responsible for what happened to Seaside City. Are you really just going to sit back and do nothing?” Stephen took a deep breath to regulate his emotions. “If you’re willing to help, we will give you more money. In fact, you can get more than just money, you can get women and young men—whatever you like!” Money, women, and freedom were the three more tempting things to a man, so Stephen believed Ethan would say yes to him this time. “I tol
The Guardian's Return Chapter 123
“Just go. It’s getting late,” Ethan said. Stephen had no memory of how he left the place. He only regained his senses when he felt the cool mountain breeze on his sweaty face. He turned around for a glance at the mansion. An uncontrollable fear flickered in his eyes before he rushed down the hill. On the way back, he could not help but give his father a call. “I offered him money, women, and freedom, but he rejected all of them. He doesn’t want to help.” Simon gasped when he heard the news of Ethan rejecting the offer. “What? Why did he reject you?” “He said he doesn’t need any of those.” “He doesn’t need any of those?” Simon thought he had heard wrong. A man locked up in a mansion on the mountain had no need for money, women, and freedom? He pondered, but he could not figure it out either. He simply thought Ethan was bluffing. However, Ethan’s rejection made things more difficult for Simon, and he could not think of a better solution for the time being. “Go home
The Guardian's Return Chapter 124
Simon never wanted to take that step, but Ethan’s refusal left him no choice. “Dennis has agreed. He will delete the video and take a new one to clarify everything. It might not be as useful as Howard clarifying himself but at least it's something,” Simon said. Upon listening to the good news, Stephen slumped back onto the couch. With the weight lifted off his shoulders, he felt a great relief. He was safe and had overcome the crisis. Once Dennis made the clarification, everything would be better. Stephen also could not believe that his savior would also be his enemy. After Dennis poisoned him and tossed him into the thrash, he had sworn to capture Dennis at all costs, but now he found himself having to rely on the very man for help. He knew that insult would be with him for the rest of his life. Maybe others would believe everything was fake, a prank video just to slander him, but he knew it all really happened. He could fool everyone but not himself. Meanwhile, Simon br
The Guardian's Return Chapter 125
They even had to give Dennis 50 million dollars to release the clarification video. If the truth got out, the Quinns’ reputation would be ruined. Fortunately, only Simon, Stephen, and Dennis knew about it. The only worry the father and son had was Dennis exposing the truth. “Let’s just hope Stephen can be better from now on. If he does a good job, Dennis’ words will no longer matter.” As long as Stephen could produce some results, he would not need to be afraid of criticism. Meanwhile, at the Lowes’ mansion, Stephen went online and noticed the netizen had started scolding Dennis instead of himself. George came over, looking surprised. “Dennis Lewis spoke up to defend you?” It was astonishing. Dennis had caused Stephen a lot of trouble. How could he suddenly speak up to defend Stephen? “That’s because Stephen’s charms and character won him over,” Rachel timidly said. “Hahaha!” Stephen was in a great mood and loved hearing such compliments. He hugged Rachel by the waist
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 920
After everything was settled, the people from HQ went to Ethan again. They apologized to him and begged for his forgiveness.“We’ve dealt with everyone involved in this matter. Are you satisfied with the outcome, Mr. Rivers?”With that, they lowered their heads to the ground nervously. Their only hope now hinged on Ethan’s response.They did not dare to ask for much. All they hoped for was that Ethan would not leave the country.Ethan glanced at them calmly and said, “Send someone to help move my stuff down the mountain.”Hearing that, everyone was first stunned, and then ecstatic.“Of course!” they replied in unison.They understood what Ethan meant. He was staying! Although it was not his complete forgiveness, he was willing to give them another chance.They were all overjoyed. As long as Ethan did not leave, there was plenty of time to slowly make amends.They took out their phones and made arrangements to help Ethan move.After the call ended, they said, “We respectfully
The Guardian's Return Chapter 919
The day of Rachel and George’s trial came.The livestream began at 10 a.m., and hundreds of thousands of viewers joined instantly.Rachel and George slowly walked into the courtroom in handcuffs.Bang! The judge’s gavel fell, and the room went silent.It was not a lawsuit. It was a trial to expose the sins of Rachel and George.The judge read out their crimes one by one, until Rachel and George’s faces paled to the point that they looked like corpses.The viewers in the livestream finally saw the full picture.“So that’s it! The Quinns and the Lowes conspired!”“They deserve to die! How could they frame Ethan like that? Are they even human?”“The death penalty! They deserve the death penalty!”They were all furious.Many people had lost their families as a result of supporting Stephen and scolding Ethan. After watching the livestream, they realized just how deeply they had been wrong.They were accomplices to the Quinns and the Lowes' crimes in framing Ethan!Their current
The Guardian's Return Chapter 918
They suppressed their disgust and returned home, only to see their parents and wives’ panicked expressions.“What did you do out there?”“So many people came today, asking for you by name.”How were they supposed to answer those questions? They could not just say that they had insulted Ethan online.If they did, their parents would beat them to death before anyone else could.“It’s nothing,” they replied stiffly. They had no choice but to hide the truth. After all, they could not say that they had insulted Ethan, or that they had lost their jobs.However, the next second, their parents received text messages. After their parents glanced at their phones, their expressions instantly changed.It was a message from the bank, stating that their child had been listed as a defaulter and urging them to repay the loan immediately.“What have you done?” Their parents’ voices trembled.Seeing that there was no way to hide it anymore, they had no choice but to confess the truth.They los
The Guardian's Return Chapter 917
Seeing that message, they immediately felt as if their world had ended.Because they had insulted Ethan, they lost their jobs, were blacklisted, and could not find work again.“How could this be?”No one expected this outcome. They thought, ‘So what if I insulted him? Are they going to punish me for it? Besides, so many people are insulting him. They can’t possibly punish every single person who did it. At most, I’ll post a public apology and promise that I’ll never do it again.’However, now they were all fired. Everyone who had insulted Ethan had been dismissed from their jobs.It seemed like there were several tens of thousands of people involved! It was hard to imagine just how many people had lost their jobs in real life.“Why are they going this far? Aren’t they afraid of causing unrest?”Of course, HQ had considered that. However, they knew what was more serious.If Ethan went abroad and cooperated with foreign countries, the consequences would not be limited to a few pe
The Guardian's Return Chapter 916
George thought that Rachel had already escaped abroad, so he was not afraid when he arrived.Now, when he saw Rachel there as well, he completely panicked.This was not what he had expected!“Where else would she be?” someone from HQ asked.George looked nervous and stammered, unable to say a word.With Rachel caught and him being brought here, it was clear that HQ already knew the truth. Coupled with his fear of Ethan and his helplessness in the face of reality, he no longer had the strength to make up any excuses.He had resigned himself to fate.“You really have some nerve." The people from HQ sneered. “You fooled us all completely.”“You’ve been hiding Ethan’s contributions all this time, haven’t you?”“You two are nothing but disasters to this country! You deserve to die a thousand times over.”George kept his head down while Rachel sobbed. “I was wrongfully accused!”“Shut up! Are you still trying to fool us at a time like this? You were wrongfully accused? By who? Sim
The Guardian's Return Chapter 915
They brought this on themselves, forcing themselves into a corner with no way out. “Ah!”Simon could not take it anymore. He suddenly ran towards the window, trying to end his life. Fortunately, the officials quickly stopped him. “Don’t be reckless! Think about Stephen. You’re all he has now!”That sentence made Simon stop. Now, Stephen and Simon were each other’s support and burden. Simon slumped on the ground weakly. Right now, they both wanted to die, but neither of them had the courage to follow through. All they could do was live on in pain. After a long silence, Simon said, “I’d like to file a report on someone.”To obtain some kind of reward and survive a little longer, Simon decided to turn in George and Rachel. When the officials heard him, they were stunned. They did not expect Rachel to be involved in framing Ethan. “Shit!” Someone exclaimed. “I heard Rachel bought a flight ticket overseas. Could she have fled?”The room was filled with dread. If Rachel ra
The Guardian's Return Chapter 914
Seeing that Stephen was awake, the others rushed to get the doctor. The doctor was astonished as well. Stephen’s sudden awakening was nothing short of a miracle. However, after examining him, the doctor’s expression darkened. Stephen had regained consciousness, but the prognosis was far from hopeful.“He can’t move,” the doctor said. “As of now, he’s paralyzed.”Stephen could open his eyes, but the rest of his body was unresponsive. He could not move his limbs or his neck and mouth. The only part he could move freely was his eye. Even his breathing was dependent entirely on medical equipment. “He might never be able to leave the bed again.”Upon hearing that, Stephen closed his eyes in despair, tears continuously rolling down his cheeks. He had fought so hard to wake up, only to realize he had missed his final chance to meet Snow and Lily. Worse yet, he also lost the ability to move. From now on, he would be confined to the bed and hooked up to machines just to stay alive.
The Guardian's Return Chapter 913
His father died a miserable death, his son was in a coma, and the Quinn family was shattered, leaving only Simon behind to finally realize all his mistakes. However, it was too late. Harrison could not come back to life, the Quinn family could not be whole again, and Stephen could not recover. Simon would forever be haunted by pain, despair, and regret for the rest of his life. At that moment, in complete darkness, Stephen heard Simon’s voice. He was conscious but failed to open his eyes or speak; he could not move a muscle. He wanted so badly to sit up and tell Simon that it was not solely his fault. They were all wrong, and this was their retribution!Just then, two women walked into the ward. When the officials saw them, their eyes widened in shock. For a second, no one even breathed. They were Snow and Lily!The officials thought they were seeing ghosts. Those women were supposed to be dead. Why were they there? Snow and Lily noticed their shocked gazes and offered them
The Guardian's Return Chapter 912
Due to Harrison’s previous incident, the officials reacted quickly by sending Stephen straight to the hospital.After an emergency rescue, Stephen’s life was saved. However, he paid a heavy price. When the doctor walked out of the emergency room, the officials asked, “How is he?”“The situation isn’t looking good,” the doctor said grimly. “His body is in a bad state, and due to long-term emotional distress, he suffered a brain hemorrhage from the emotional shock.“He’s still in a coma, and we can’t say for sure when he’ll wake up again. It depends on his will to live.”The officials drew a sharp breath. “Do you mean he might end up in a coma forever?”The doctor nodded. No one saw coming that Stephen would fall into a coma, with little chance of ever waking up again. However, it also meant he did not have to die anymore. He would be alive but confined to a bed. Suddenly, they thought of Harrison’s desperate pleas to Ethan back in his villa. “I’m willing to trade my life fo
