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Chapter 126
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 127
“Third time's the charm. I won’t fail again.” Simon nodded and agreed with his son. Besides, how could someone fail at the same job three times in a row? After the call, Stephen wrote a proposal for his plans. The next day, he took a plane to Aqua City, but this time, he came prepared. The mayor welcomed him at the airport and brought him to the hotel. On the way to the hotel, Stephen asked, “How much longer until the sports games?” “One month.” “One month? Hm, it’s short but should be enough,” Stephen muttered to himself. “This is the proposal that I’ve come up with. Have a look.” He handed the mayor the proposal. After going through the details, the mayor frowned. The proposal focused on heavily promoting tourism, building more resorts, opening more bed-and-breakfasts, and even launching some trendy spots. It also included plans to introduce more freshwater species to diversify the local aquatic life and attract more seafood companies to set up shop. Lastly, it sugg
The Guardian's Return Chapter 128
Stephen still could not fully understand Ethan’s plan. The city’s development? They were meant to highlight the city’s beautiful aquatic sceneries and also prevent the landscape from being ruined. After all, if the environment gets destroyed, what good would hotels and resorts be if no tourists came? Limiting the types of aquatic life farmed? It was because the water in the city was only suitable for farming local species. If non-native species were introduced, it would also destroy the local ecosystem, resulting in poor quality and quantity of seafood. Due to that, Ethan also forbade people to release non-native species into the waters of Aqua City. As to limiting other companies from expanding locally? It was because he wanted to protect the forest of the city. Many companies saw the potential in the area’s hydroelectric resources and population. They wanted to set up factories there, where they could dump untreated waste into the rivers and offer jobs to the people. A lot
The Guardian's Return Chapter 129
Stephen noticed the unusual gazes at him and knew the people in the meeting room had opinions about his previous work. Hence, he stood up and said, “I know some of you have a different opinion about me. I totally understand it. I might not be the main cause of the downfall of North Hill City and Seaside City, but I was still involved, and I admit that I didn’t do a good job. “But I ask you to trust me one more time.” The people in the meeting room were shocked. They thought the young man from Metropolis would be an arrogant one, but he spoke politely and seemed to be a rational one. He also sounded sincere, as if he truly wanted to make up for the losses. His tone and attitude made them look at him differently. Maybe Stephen was not all useless; maybe he truly wanted to serve the people and develop the city’s economy. “Alright! We’re at your service!” “I believe you will lead us to new heights!” Stephen’s lips curled into a smile as he announced, “This meeting is held to
The Guardian's Return Chapter 130
Everyone applauded Stephen. His plans seemed perfect. If they followed Stephen’s plan, Aqua City’s GDP would surely rise. Then, someone in the room asked, “There’s still one more month left before the launch, and our construction for the venue is almost done. Are we really moving it to the beach?” Stephen stood firm on his stance. “It has to be on the beach. As for the current construction, we can just tear it down. “With destruction comes creation, right? I’m sure you’ve all heard it before. This sports game is a once-in-a-decade opportunity for us. We cannot afford to miss it. If we capitalize on this, the city’s GDP will rise to four trillion in one year!” Everyone’s eyes lit up. Four trillion was nearly twice the current GDP! If they could make it, Aqua City could be one of the megacities of the country. They could not contain their excitement, fully supporting Stephen’s decision. “Your plan is great!” “Yeah! It’s way better than Ethan’s plans!” “I can already pic
The Guardian's Return Chapter 131
They had never met Ethan, yet he had orchestrated the deaths of eight people. Among the eight, five were forced to take their own lives, while the remaining three fled the country, severely injured. Even the CEOs lost contact with the three of them. It was as though they had vanished into thin air. No one could find them.However, just a few days later, the CEOs learned about their mysterious deaths. They were killed in another country, and their families had been wiped out. The group of bosses got so afraid that they ran, but no matter what, they could not accept their fates. With them dead, all their money and assets were transferred to a mysterious account. After that, Aqua City received huge funding to accelerate its development. That was when they knew Ethan was the person behind their mysterious and gruesome deaths. “This is Ethan Rivers. It’s best to expect the worst. One misstep and we will be joining the rest in hell.” The one who spoke was Thomas Youngman, the owne
The Guardian's Return Chapter 132
“It shouldn't be a problem. He’s not Ethan Rivers, after all.” As long as Ethan was not their opponent, they were not afraid. Meanwhile, Stephen had just concluded the mapping out for the city. “Let’s call it a day. I’ll visit the marked sites tomorrow.” The next day, he and the mayor visited the sites. Along the way, he was captivated by Aqua City’s stunning scenery, and it made him emotional. “This place is beautiful.” The mayor replied with a smile, “It will only become more beautiful under your leadership.” Pleased with the response, Stephen let out a hearty laugh. Soon, they arrived at the first site—a residential area with a river flowing in the center. After surveying the place, Stephen said, “This is the perfect place for some farms and bed-and-breakfasts. And if we build more hotels by the side, I bet they’d be fully booked in no time.” The mayor’s assistant wrote down every detail Stephen mentioned. After another round of inspection, they wrapped up the
The Guardian's Return Chapter 133
“Don’t worry, I’m not Ellen. She must’ve developed feelings for her target. That was why Ethan Rivers used her. I won’t make such a stupid mistake,” Snow said. Oliver was happy with the reply. He did not want one of his women to die on an assignment either. “I will arrange for your next meeting with Stephen. Now, you can satisfy me first.” With that, the Mercedes drove off. Stephen and the mayor, on the other hand, went around the city and completed his mapping for future developments. The mayor then handed him a set of documents. “These are the selected locations for the sports games. You can pick one out, and we will move the venue there.” Stephen went through the list and chose a spacious location, one where multiple rivers intersected so that it could fit a massive stadium. The mayor took the document back and said, “Very well. I’ll tell the men to start working on it.” The reconstruction of the new stadium must be carried out immediately as the event was only a m
The Guardian's Return Chapter 134
While others criticized Stephen for his incompetence, the young woman before him defended him, despite not knowing his name yet. “Thank you.” Stephen thanked the girl in his heart. “Let’s forget about that. We actually haven’t introduced ourselves. I’m Snow, and you are?” the girl asked nervously. “Stephen Quinn.” Snow covered her mouth, feigning surprise.Stephen, finding her reaction amusing, said, “Thank you for defending me.” Snow snapped out of it and shook her head softly. “I’m just stating the truth. People say you’re evil, but I think they’re wrong. You’re quite handsome.” She was good with her words, especially with a man. With just a few comments, she had Stephen on cloud nine. Snow and her fellow ‘sisters’ were trained to capture men’s hearts, and the best among them was her predecessor, Ellen. However, even Ellen died at Ethan's hands, and here was Stephen, already wrapped around Snow’s finger after just a couple of comments.“Thanks again.” Stephen like he
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 890
Simon asked weakly, “Is there really no chance?”Ethan replied calmly, “Figure it out yourselves. This has nothing to do with me.”With those words, Simon’s last hope was completely shattered. His body swayed. He wanted to say many things, but in the end, he could not utter a single word and stood up in a daze.“Sorry for disturbing you.”With that, he turned and slowly left. At that moment, he felt like he aged a lot. Regret filled his heart. If he had known, he would never have provoked Ethan in the first place. He was the one who cut off every retreat and every path to survival.He had doomed himself!As soon as he left the villa, his phone rang. It was a call from his father, Harrison.“Something's happened!” Harrison said anxiously. “Stephen just announced that he’s going to reveal the truth that he deceived everyone! What’s he trying to do? He’s not really going to expose the truth, right?”Simon was silent. He did not expect Stephen to act so quickly. Stephen had just ca
The Guardian's Return Chapter 889
Stephen continued, “I’ve already made up my mind. I just called you to tell you about this. This is my decision. No matter what happens next, don’t try to help me.”Simon was moved. Stephen was telling them to watch as he walked to his death. Simon could not bear it, but the problem was too significant. Refusing would make no difference.In the end, he took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “I understand.”Stephen forced a smile. “Thanks.”The call ended.Simon stood still, holding his phone, lost in thought. In that final moment, Stephen did not seem like a young man, but an elder.“He really has... surpassed me.”Stephen finally had the strength to take over the Quinn family and lead it to glory, but he was going to die. Simon looked up at the sky and could not help but remember the word that Stephen said.“Fate.”What if he took Stephen’s place in death? Could that save him?However, after thinking about it, it was impossible. This whole incident involved Ethan. Ethan
The Guardian's Return Chapter 888
“What?” Simon was shocked.Reveal the truth? How could they do that?Coveting Ethan’s achievements, they wanted to take Riveria from him and claim his victories as their own. They worked with the Lowe family to frame Ethan, erased all his contributions, and painted him as a corrupt official who embezzled money to support his mistresses.Even now, many people still believed them and cursed Ethan online every day.If the truth were exposed, the Quinns would be finished. No one in the Quinns and the Lowes would be able to escape.“Have you gone mad?”Stephen shook his head. “I’m thinking straight. I’ve never been more rational than I am right now. I’ll reveal the truth, but I won’t implicate the Quinns.”He said slowly, “I’ll take all the blame upon myself. The only one who dies will be me.”Simon paled. “No!”Sacrificing Stephen to save the Quinns—he could not accept that!Stephen was the only heir of the Quinn family, and he represented the family’s image. If the public found
The Guardian's Return Chapter 887
A few minutes later, Stephen finally accepted reality and slowly walked out of the washroom.Still feeling lightheaded, he searched through the medicine cabinet, swallowed some fever medicine, and sat on the couch.“I don’t have much time left.”Stephen began executing his final plan. He would take the blame for everything and reveal the truth. Once he did that, Ethan’s name would be cleared, and he would reclaim everything that was rightfully his. The Quinns would also have a chance to survive.The only person who would die was himself.Stephen was afraid of death in the past, but it was different now. He had lost everything. His heart was shattered beyond repair. His heart completely died the moment Snow and Lily walked away from him.Rhys’s experience gave him the courage to face death. They had gone through similar experiences and shared the same fate of death, but Rhys had chosen to meet it head-on.Stephen took out his phone and started drafting his statement. He had to ex
The Guardian's Return Chapter 886
George rushed out upon hearing Rachel’s scream.“There’s a stranger in the house! He’s in the bathroom now!”George grabbed a broom and walked forward nervously. Who would dare to break into the Lowes' house? However, when he saw Stephen’s current appearance, he froze.George was in his fifties and had greying hair and wrinkles while Stephen was only in his twenties. However, Stephen looked even older than him.George rubbed his eyes, thinking they were playing tricks on him. When he opened them again, Stephen still had a head full of white hair.“That’s Stephen?”Behind him, Rachel covered her mouth in shock.The first time she saw Stephen, she had been attracted by his looks. Although he was not as handsome as Ethan, his status as an heir, along with his background and aura, added to his charm.However, that once-dashing Stephen had turned into an old man with white hair and wrinkles. His powerful aura as the heir of the Quinns was completely gone. Now, he no longer looked li
The Guardian's Return Chapter 885
Stephen’s mind went blank. Pleading Ethan to return did not work. He had missed his final opportunity. Ethan no longer cared about Riveria anymore. He was doomed, and so was Riveria. “Enough,” Ethan said. “You can leave. This should be the last time we meet.”After that, Ethan turned around and walked back into the villa. “No!”Stephen scrambled over to Ethan on his hands and knees, trying to grab hold of his thigh. Thud! Ethan’s strength surpassed that of a military expert. Before Stephen could reach him, Ethan kicked him to the ground. Stephen rolled on the floor disgracefully and was covered with dust when he stopped, looking like a beggar on the side of the road. “Please. Give me and Riveria a chance. I’ll tell everyone the truth!”Bang. Only the sound of the door closing slowly responded to him. Stephen crawled up and slumped on the ground. He failed to get Ethan to step in. Even his life was not worth anything now. All of the karma had come to him.Stephen’s b
The Guardian's Return Chapter 884
After waking up from his dream, he must face the fact that they had already left. “I’m fine,” Stephen said weakly. “Please discharge me.”He knew he was not physically sick, but it was his mind that was troubled. Staying in the hospital further was useless. He knew he had more important things to do and that staying would only waste his time.The nurse frowned. “I’ll let them know.”Discharging Stephen from the hospital was not a decision the nurse could make on her own. The doctor arrived and gave Stephen a full-body examination.“You’re in a bad state. We recommend you stay in the hospital and have some rest.”Stephen shook his head. “No.”“But…”“No buts!” Stephen raised his voice, “I don’t have much time left!”After joining the Rhys Festival, learning about Rhys, and hearing that Snow and Lily chose to leave him, he had a dream. In his dream, Rhys said that he had a way to solve the problem and asked him to follow him.Although he could not follow Rhys, Stephen knew tha
The Guardian's Return Chapter 883
Stephen slumped to the ground, the strength drained from his body. Even his consciousness was fading away. Due to a misunderstanding, he lost Snow. For temporary happiness, he had missed Lily. He had been living in pain and regret, always fantasizing about the day he would find the two women, apologize to them properly, and provide them with a happy life. But now, just when he had finally caught a glimpse of them, they slipped away from his fingers. And before he even managed to find them, he was informed of the news that they did not love him anymore. These revelations felt like a thousand knives stabbing directly into Stephen’s heart, so agonizing that he could hardly breathe. It was even worse than death. “How did it end up like this?” Tears streamed down his face as he muttered, “I haven’t found them. I still owe them an apology. Why…” He had lost Snow and Lily forever. They were alive and well, but they no longer had anything to do with him. From now on, they would b
The Guardian's Return Chapter 882
Stephen spun around anxiously, glancing and trying to find the figure of the two women in the crowd. The South Regent and Victor could not help but laugh at the side. “Stop teasing him,” Victor said. Stephen looked at them. “What do you mean?”The South Regent tried to hold back his laughter. “I tricked you. You didn’t run in the wrong direction. We took the boat here.”Stephen glanced at the river and, true enough, saw a small boat. He was in such a rush that he did not notice it. “Where are they?” Stephen could no longer care whether he was tricked. Right now, nothing was more important than finding Snow and Lily. “They left. Duh.” The South Regent said, “The festival is almost over, so they left. Although you didn’t run the wrong way, you were too late.”Stephen yelled, “Impossible!”“It’s true. They left,” Victor added. “Nonsense!” Stephen stood on his tiptoes and scanned his surroundings. “Snow! Lily! Where are you?”Victor shook his head. “Did you really think
