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Chapter 14

Author: Old Pumpkin
The next second, a middle-aged woman appeared before everyone. She was not even close to pretty, and her figure was somewhat plump. More importantly, she had salt and pepper hair, making her look like she was in her late forties or early fifties.

Everyone was stunned when they saw her. She looked a little too old, and her looks and figure were nothing impressive either. Was that really the type Ethan was into?

“That’s odd,” someone muttered softly.

There was a saying that men would never stop being attracted to younger and prettier women, so how could a successful man like Ethan be interested in someone like that?

While the people were trying to wrap their heads around it, the woman, named Felicia, scanned the crowd and frowned slightly when she did not see Ethan.

“Who are you?” she asked.

Her question snapped everyone back to reality.

Stephen chuckled and mocked, “I have to say, Ethan has quite unique tastes. Haha! Thank god Rachel left him! At a closer look, she and Ethan do
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  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 15

    Felicia nodded again. Those were the names of the other widows Ethan had placed to live there. Thanks to Ethan, they saw much of each other and were all familiar with one another.Stephen smirked. “Get everyone down here now and have them gather in front of the building.”His plan was to call everyone out so the officials behind him and the governors watching the stream could see how depraved Ethan was!While Felicia left to gather the others, George said to the other governors, “I see now. The woman on the first floor must be a smokescreen. Ethan must’ve deliberately put someone unattractive on the first floor to throw us off and make us think he’s not keeping any mistresses. Tsk, tsk. He’s smart, but too bad it’s wasted on this!”The other governors nodded in agreement.“It’s true. He’s got so many tricks up his sleeve when it comes to deceiving the public.”“If only he put even a fraction of that energy into actually doing his job, he wouldn’t be in this mess.”“This should b

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 16

    “Mr. Rivers was arrested for embezzlement and bribery? And we’re all part of his harem?”“Don’t slander us!”“Mr. Rivers would never do such a thing!”“Besides, our relationship with him is completely innocent!”A cold smile spread across Stephen’s face.“Sounds convincing, but let me ask you something. If you have nothing to do with him, why did he spend a billion dollars to buy you guys homes? Why does he spend every holiday here with you instead of going home? Why does he send you money regularly? Well? Answer me!”He sneered. “Can’t answer, can you?”He had come prepared, and his demand for an answer was echoed like thunder, startling the officials behind him.Some governors even clapped and cheered. “How intimidating!”“Good, good! That tough attitude is exactly what you need!”“I thought he might go easy because they’re women, but that’s a good attitude.”They were all pleased with Stephen’s performance. Even George could not help but smile with pride. That was his fut

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 17

    Stephen had asked why, yet the answers he received seemed completely unrelated. However, every response answered his question perfectly. Why did Ethan treat those women so well? It was because they were the widows of the fallen heroes. Their husbands had sacrificed their lives for Riveria, and Riveria’s prosperity was built on the sacrifice of those men. Did their families not deserve such luxurious homes? They did; they more than deserved it.“What
” Stephen suddenly felt his throat go dry.The officials behind were stunned, not to mention George and the other governors watching the livestream.Zane sighed softly. He knew Ethan would not have any mistresses, but now that the truth was out, he could not help but feel a deep respect for Ethan. The man had taken on the burden of the entire province’s well-being all by himself. “No wonder Riveria is thriving. With someone like him around, Riveria will only get better!”Liam gulped hard, finally understanding why Ethan was so ca

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 18

    “This is all part of Ethan’s scheme. You don’t understand him, but we do. I swear to God that he’s not a good person.”Seeing how confident he was, the other governors began to feel uncertain. Could there really be an issue with Ethan Rivers? Were they all being deceived?Amidst everyone’s silence, George said, “Search the place!”Stephen smirked as he ordered, “Follow me inside and search!”“No!” Liam shouted, stepping in front and blocking their path.Stephen raised his brows and asked, “What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to defend Ethan?”“Of course not!” Ethan said, “This isn’t about defending Ethan. These women’s husbands sacrificed their lives for the country, yet not only have you ignored their welfare, but you’ve also accused them of being someone else’s women. And now you’re planning to barge into their homes with a group of men to ransack the place?“Is this how you live up to those heroes’ sacrifices? How will their souls rest in peace? Also, if you do this,

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 19

    To be honest, George was not entirely confident either because he had not discovered that those women were the widows of the fallen heroes. However, considering they had come so far, there was no turning back. There were so many officials and other governors watching. If it ended there, they would become laughingstocks. Since the arrow was already nocked, it had to be fired!Hearing that, Stephen calmed down slightly. In any case, George was his future father-in-law. Surely, his future father-in-law would not set him up, would he?“Okay, I agree,” Stephen agreed. Believing that George must have his best interest at heart, he wrote a guarantee and led a group inside to search the apartments. Once inside, they were shocked to find that the million-dollar apartments were furnished simply. It was just the bare basics. The cost of a single table in George’s home could have furnished half of one of those apartments. Seeing it made George’s heart sink.Stephen ordered the search, but

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 20

    Stephen had thought that would be his opportunity to bring down Ethan, but in the end, he was the one who had to swallow his pride.He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and muttered, “Sorry.”“This is unbearable!”The women, far from appeased, started to cry louder.“Not only did he barge and search our homes, but there’s no sincerity in his apology at all! We can’t live like this. I’m going to end it right here, right now!”In the conference room, George panicked when he saw a woman about to run into the wall. If someone died, the situation would spiral out of control.“Don’t do anything rash! Calm down!” George shouted, “Stephen! Apologize to them now!”Stephen paled. He did not expect the situation to escalate to the point where the women were threatening suicide. However, at that point, he could not waste time figuring out if they were serious. He had to follow George’s orders to keep his job.George had ordered the operation, yet now he was yelling at Stephen and dema

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 21

    Following George's order to retreat, Stephen left sheepishly with his men. As Stephen walked away, he overheard whispered discussions behind him."Ethan is a good person, yet he’s been arrested?""Yeah, who else cares so much about these widows besides him?""Arresting such a good person is really disheartening."Everyone knew deep down that nobody wanted to take care of those people. If someone were to manage the situation, how much money would they have to spend each year? They would have to misappropriate funds from other areas, like meal allowances or somethingLiam stepped forward and said to Stephen, "Since Mr. Rivers isn’t keeping any women, shouldn't we release him?"Stephen was fuming inside. "Release him? Just because he’s clean here doesn't mean he’s clean."He did not want to hear the discussions behind him anymore, so he quickened his pace and left promptly, leaving the other officials looking at each other in bewilderment."He’s the one who called us here, and now

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    Brandon picked up his coffee mug, intending to take a sip to calm his anger. "I'm not deaf. What's the good news?"The young man, Sky North, caught his breath and said, "Ethan Rivers has been arrested."The mug fell and shattered on the ground with a crash, coffee spilling everywhere. However, Brandon seemed not to notice. He stared at Sky wide-eyed and enunciated each word, "Ethan Rivers has been arrested?"Sky nodded, saying excitedly, "Yes, I heard it downtown. The charges are embezzlement and bribery.""What?"Brandon thought he must have misheard. Embezzlement and bribery? Who? Ethan Rivers?That was an absolute joke. Did they not know who Ethan was? The man did not need to resort to such despicable means to make money. If Ethan really wanted money, all he needed to do was say the word, and they would all willingly hand it over to him, just begging for him to spare their livelihoods."It must be false information," Brandon said. "Could Ethan have released this to test u

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  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 880

    Thanks to Stephen’s shout out, many tourists came to the town to join the festival. Stephen watched the bustling crowd, lost in thought, when two familiar figures suddenly appeared.Stephen trembled as his eyes widened in disbelief. They were Snow and Lily!He snapped out of his daze and rushed into the crowd. However, when he was standing right where he had seen them, they were gone. He looked around him, but with so many people moving around, he could not look far.“Was it just my imagination?”Stephen calmed himself down. He had been through so much lately that he was starting to hallucinate. How could Snow and Lily be there anyway?Believing he needed some rest, he booked a room and took a nap. When he lay down on the bed, he quickly fell asleep from all the exhaustion.He dreamed about Snow and Lily, as well as Rhys. However, Rhys was surrounded by thick fog that obscured his face.Stephen looked at him and asked, “Did you ever think of giving up?”Rhys said, “There are so

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 879

    “He’s amazing.” Stephen asked excitedly, “Where is he now? I’d like to meet him.”The mayor took a deep drag of his cigarette and blew it out. “You can’t.”“Huh?” Stephen did not understand.The mayor replied, “He’s dead.”Stephen froze. Rhys, the person hailed as the second Ethan Rivers, was dead? “How could that be?”The mayor gazed at the sky outside the door. “It’s been like this since ancient times. Heroes never live long enough to grow old in this world. He got cancer and passed away not long after Riveria achieved peace. We started this festival to honor him and other heroes.”The mayor’s voice was filled with regret.“He was a good kid. It’s such a shame.”Stephen was lost in a daze. Just moments ago, he was thrilled to hear of Rhys’ past, thinking he was saved. If he could find Rhys, the problems in Riveria would be solved easily. However, Rhys was dead. In fact, he had been gone for several years.Stephen’s so-called hope never existed.“How could this be
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    The mayor looked out at the blue sky, lost in thought.“Since she chose you, I’ll step aside,” Rhys said as he handed his friend the keepsake his childhood sweetheart had once given him when they swore their love.“Besides, given these chaotic times, love isn’t something I can afford to dwell on. I have to live up to the expectations people have of me. I can’t let them down.” He looked at the girl one last time and took a deep breath before saying, “Goodbye.”His family was destroyed at a young age, so Rhys longed for peace more than anyone. He always wanted to be part of the effort to protect Riveria.The year he graduated from university, the Grand Marshal passed away. All of Riveria was in despair, believing that Riveria was doomed. However, Rhys was determined to join Ethan’s forces.In multiple operations, he displayed excellent skills, strategic thinking, and intelligence, allowing Ethan to take notice of him and guide him. In turn, Rhys learned a lot from Ethan.“Study the

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 877

    The mayor nodded and explained the origin of the festival and its name.“Riveria used to be a chaos-filled land, but many unsung heroes stepped up to make it better. The peace we enjoy today is all thanks to their selfless dedication.“The name Rhys Festival comes from a man named Rhys Estrela. He was once a subordinate of Mr. Rivers, who made great sacrifices for Riveria. There’s a local saying that goes, ‘A single spark can start a prairie fire.’ We always believe that as long as we don’t give up, Riveria will surely thrive.”Those words sent a chill down Stephen’s spine. The mayor mentioned Mr. Rivers, and while others might not know who that was, Stephen knew—it was Ethan! It meant that the festival was related to Ethan. To top it off, the festival was named after Ethan’s subordinate, Rhys Estrela, a name Stephen was unfamiliar with. He had been in Riveria for half a year but had never heard of that name before. He had no idea what Rhys did to leave his name behind like that.

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 876

    Hearing Stephen’s positive response, the people in Riveria calmed down slightly.“I hope they can recover the money soon.”“I took out a loan on my house to invest. If we don’t get it back, my family is done for.”“Let’s believe in Stephen. No matter what, he was the Grand Marshal’s mentee.”“He did a good job running Riveria before. I’m sure he can do it again.”“Yeah. This is just a minor issue compared to before.”Most people expressed their trust in Stephen. They could tell that he was far more worn out than before. His hair, which had shown signs of turning black again, had faded back to white again. Some people even felt sorry for him.However, there were others who doubted his abilities. The scammers had fled abroad. Would Stephen be able to catch them, and even if they were caught, could the money be recovered? What if the scammers had laundered the money by auctioning off artwork?They voiced their concerns online. Some people agreed, understanding why they were worrie

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 875

    Stephen looked at the contract. Other than the high price, there were no other problems.However, the high price was a humiliation for both Stephen and the whole of Riveria.He wanted to refuse and even curse them, but he had no leverage against the other party and was completely passive in this situation. If he did not agree, the crops and livestock in Riveria would be finished.Stephen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Even though he knew that many people would hate him, he still signed the contract.“Pleasure doing business with you.” The foreigners took the contract and chuckled. With that, they left.The meeting room was silent, Stephen being the only one left. He slumped into his chair, uncertain if he had made the right decision.Half an hour later, his phone rang, snapping him back to reality. He had more work to do.Many people in Riveria had been scammed into buying virtual currency, losing over ten billion. Stephen had to give the people an answer.“How did the

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 874

    Stephen had no choice but to use a translation device, continuing the discussion while they mocked him.Despite his utmost sincerity and effort, they refused to lower their price at all, confident that they had Stephen cornered.His only option was to take money from the Quinns and pour it into developing the medicine. However, he knew the Quinns well. There was no way they would take out billions at once for something like this, especially when there were other diseases to deal with as well.They were no match for Ethan, but the Quinns were nothing to them, let alone Stephen.“We’ll get to the point.”They spoke in Stephen’s language to make sure that he understood. “You’re not good enough. Only Mr. Rivers can manage Riveria. You can’t even protect the people around you. How do you plan to protect Riveria?”Stephen’s expression soured. He knew that they were telling the truth. He had no way to refute, and being stubborn would only make him look more ridiculous.“I’m not as good

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 873

    Stephen felt that he could come up with a solution that could save both Riveria and protect the Quinns.However, did such a solution really exist? He was not confident.“I’ll go back to my room first.” Stephen walked away.Back in his room, he sat at his desk, deep in thought.“A perfect solution...”Stephen could not think of one. The more he tried, the more his mind uncontrollably drifted back to the past.“No.” He shook his head. “I need to focus.”However, his mind and body had deteriorated from the multiple tragedies. His hair had turned grey, and he struggled to maintain focus.Stephen sighed and planned to think of a solution later. Now, he needed to address Riveria’s current problems.Crops and livestock were falling ill. He sent people to investigate the cause, but research required massive funding. Replacing the crops and animals with new ones would not be easy either.At that moment, foreign corporations suddenly announced that they had the right medicine to cure t

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 872

    In the past, George also thought that Riveria would not collapse even without Ethan. With himself and the Quinn family, Stephen could still bring Riveria to new heights.Now, he understood.What the former governor, Liam, and the others said was true: Riveria would fall without Ethan.Neither the Lowes, the Quinns, nor even all the families in Metropolis combined, could manage Riveria.Without Ethan, Riveria was doomed.Stephen lowered his head. If it were in the past, he would have laughed if he had heard such words, thinking it was a joke.How was he inferior to Ethan? Whatever Ethan could do, he could do too, and better at that!Now, he could not laugh.He realized the truth too.The first city’s downfall was a coincidence, the second was due to negligence, and the third was an accident, but what about the fourth? The fifth?He could come up with a thousand excuses, but it would not change the truth.The reality was that he was far inferior to Ethan. Only Ethan could save

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