Stephen’s eyes instantly lit up. “What is it? I’ll answer ten questions, let alone one!”Ethan asked calmly, “Snow died because of you. You killed her, but you’re so determined to find her grave now. Is it because you don’t want her to rest in peace?”Boom!That question was like a bomb, hitting Stephen viciously.He widened his eyes and fell to the ground.He could not answer!He had no response!Cold sweat slowly trickled from his forehead.Ethan looked at Stephen and continued, “You’re so selfish. You only ever think of yourself.”“I... I...” Stephen lowered his head, his body trembling. “No, that’s not true.”“Then, why did Snow die? Who was it who held that press conference to publicly sever ties with her? If you truly loved her, would you have cared about what the world thought?” Ethan asked. “If you hadn’t brought her to me to brag, would she have died?”Stephen did not dare to raise his head.If Snow did not know the truth about her parents’ death, perhaps she would
Liam was dumbfounded.Was that the answer?He did not expect it to be money.However, after thinking about it, the answer made a lot of sense. All those emotional matters had nothing to do with Ethan. After all, love would not fill the stomach. Liam also did not find the situation particularly touching. He only felt angry.Stephen killed Snow. He was simply reaping what he sowed!Only money had any value to Ethan.Ethan took out his phone and called Simon.The call instantly connected.Simon anxiously asked, “Where did you go? Why didn’t you pick up?”Stephen did not seem to hear. “Transfer 10 million dollars to Ethan.”“What?” Simon thought he had misheard.Transfer money to Ethan?And 10 million at that! That was not a paltry sum.Most importantly, why was it for Ethan? Stephen wanted nothing more than for Ethan to die. Why was he suddenly giving him money?“Why?”“Transfer him 10 million dollars now.” Stephen did not explain and hung up after saying those words.Simo
Stephen looked at the wilderness, lost in thought.He could not believe that this used to be a town!“Was Riveria that chaotic back then?”Looking at the abandoned houses, Stephen realized for the first time how chaotic Riveria had been before.“Yes, it was.” Liam continued, “Even the Grand Marshal couldn’t bring peace and went missing in the chaos.”“What?” Stephen was shocked. Even the Grand Marshal could not resolve the turmoil in Riveria? “How could that be?”Liam sighed. “It’s true. Back then, Riveria was plagued by both internal and external issues. It was dire.”Stephen asked, “Who ended the war?”Liam looked at him and slowly said two words, “Ethan Rivers.”Stephen instantly widened his eyes.It was him!The person he trapped in Drakthorn Ridge!He had accomplished even what the Grand Marshal could not!Could what those people said be true? Could Riveria really not survive without Ethan?That was impossible!Stephen quickly shook off those ridiculous thoughts.A
“What are you doing here? There’s a whole group of people guarding you at Drakthorn Ridge!”Ethan said calmly, “You’ve gone to Lytton and seen Crestwood. None of their people could stop me. Why do you think a few of your men could keep an eye on me?”Furthermore, he had once moved freely through the South Regent’s army.For a moment, Stephen was speechless. He recalled his experience entering Crestwood with a group of people, only to end up tossed into a pile of trash, humiliated.Ethan slowly walked over to the grassy patch and sat down next to Stephen.He asked, “Have you ever thought about this while lying here? Years ago, Snow was just a carefree girl. She used to lie here and watch the stars too.”Stephen fell silent.He turned his head slightly, and in a daze, he seemed to see Snow lying beside him, smiling gently at him.She said, “The stars are so beautiful.”Stephen reached out to touch her but stopped halfway through.He did not dare to. He was afraid that if he tou
Stephen’s voice trembled with fear. “No! I didn’t! I just…”“You just want to kill her again?”Stephen shouted, “No! Tell me where she is!”He was like a drowning man, desperately clinging to a lifeline. “I’ll give you another 10 million dollars. Please tell me where she is. She’s still alive, and I want to apologize to her in person. I won’t hurt her again.”Ethan smiled. “10 million isn’t enough.”“How much do you want?” Stephen urgently asked. “As long as I can afford it, I’ll give you whatever you want!”“50 million.”That figure hit Stephen like a ton of bricks. 50 million was not a small amount.However, he thought of Snow and immediately agreed. “I’ll give it to you now!”Once again, he gave Simon a call and told him to transfer the money to Ethan immediately.“50 million?” Simon was shocked. “Why are you giving him so much money out of the blue?”“Snow is still alive! Ethan saved her. Only he knows where she is now!” Stephen shouted.“What?”Simon was stunned.Sno
Stephen and Simon waited for another half minute, but Ethan did not continue.“That’s it?” Simon asked. “That’s all you’re going to say?”Ethan nodded. “Yep.”“That’s ridiculous!” Simon could not accept it. 50 million for just that? Although it did reveal where Snow was, the area was vast. How many villages were there in Draconia? There were too many to count, and wanting to find Snow would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. The worst part was, they could not even search for her publicly. Everyone believed Snow had committed suicide out of guilt. If they suddenly announced that she was alive—that everyone was tricked, what would people think?On top of that, all eyes were on Stephen now. How could he explain bringing a criminal back home?In other words, although Ethan revealed where Snow was, it was almost like he had not. The chances of finding her were slim. Even if they could find her, it would take decades. Stephen and Snow would both be old, and what would b
“No! Snow!” Stephen yelled to the sky and broke down again, tears streaming down his face.The first time he heard Snow was dead, he broke down, and when he could not find her grave, he lost it again. Then, the news that she was alive sparked hope in him, but now, he was hit with a devastating truth. He would never find her in his life. He could only live the rest of his life consumed by guilt and despair. How was he supposed to move on? How could anyone move on from something like that?His screams were heart-wrenching. Even Liam found it cruel. First, they gave him despair, then a glimmer of hope, only to tear it all away and leave him in a pit of hopelessness once again. However, Ethan did not stop there. They left him with enough hope to keep him hanging, forcing him to live in a constant state of torment—of guilt, pain, and hope. It was brutal torture!Now Liam was beginning to understand why Ethan could bring peace to Riveria. He was kind and forgiving to good people, bu
At that point, all Simon could do was silently cheer Stephen on.“You have to get through this. As long as you do, everything will get better.”Unbeknownst to Simon, Adam was about to blow up in frustration back in Aqua City. He had been calling Stephen but had not been able to get through. Ever since Stephen left, it had been radio silence. However, Aqua City could not afford to do without him right now.The sports game was starting tomorrow, and with the number of tourists climbing, the streets were getting hard to keep clean. The garbage thrown into the river had also gathered around the stadium, forming small hills. Now, people had to work around the clock to clean out the trash!Then, complaints about the farm stay and hotels flooded the city hall’s hotline. People complained about it being too expensive, the food being too terrible, and a single meal costing thousands, which was daylight robbery.Many tourists were furious, venting their frustration online and warning othe
Should he tell Stephen the truth? If he blurted it out and Stephen learned that Ethan saved Lily, he might side with Ethan just like Jason. Most importantly, Stephen was the future head of the Quinns. If Stephen really lowered his head to Ethan, it meant Ethan could control the Quinns in the future!Should he hide the truth from Stephen and use the time and opportunity to shower him with love and care?Still, he could not hide this forever. The longer he kept it from Stephen, the more intense Stephen’s reaction would be when he knew the truth. At that time, he might still choose to side with Ethan. Simon had been through many storms and made many important decisions in critical situations, but at this moment, faced with two choices, he could not choose either. To tell or not to tell—neither would work, and he was stuck in the middle. The final winner would still be Ethan. Ethan was imprisoned in the mansion on Drakthorn Ridge, but he still had everything in control!Simon as
He really could not figure out Ethan’s thoughts. However, if Ethan truly wanted to turn Stephen against the Quinns, Stephen might indeed be used or manipulated after everything he had been through, especially with what happened with Lily. Compared to Scott and Cora, the contrast was enough to make him detest his family and the power struggles even more.“By the way,” Ethan said while he put his phone on the table and pushed it forward to Simon, “I want you to see something.”Simon frowned. “What?” He took the phone, not really bothered about what Ethan wanted him to see. He merely wanted to delete the recording immediately. However, the moment he picked up the phone, Simon froze on the spot, and color instantly drained from his face. Despite having weathered countless storms, he could not help but tremble uncontrollably now.He nearly dropped the phone, and his breath became rushed and erratic as if he had seen a ghost!He saw a photo that had been taken that afternoon. There w
Scott and Cora were safe and sound, and their child was even old enough to walk now. But Stephen and Lily?Lily committed suicide by poisoning herself, and Stephen’s hair turned gray overnight, making him look haggard and miserable. “Ethan! Him again!”Because of his existence, Scott and Cora were able to escape danger while Stephen and Lily must be separated by life and death just because they did not receive help. Simon immediately took a car to Drakthorn Ridge. He wanted answers from Ethan. Why did Ethan not help when Lily died on Drakthorn Ridge?Soon, Simon arrived at Ethan’s mansion. “Ethan, get out here!” Simon did not see Ethan and yelled in the living room. “Just because your son is incompetent, you came here to throw a tantrum at me?” Ethan’s voice rang out behind him. Simon turned around sharply and saw Ethan slowly walking in. Sunlight shone on him, making Simon hesitate to look directly at Ethan. He immediately asked, “Did you know Lily died on Drakthorn Rid
Upon hearing that Stephen’s hair had turned gray out of the blue, Simon hurriedly boarded a plane to the capital. Soon, he saw Stephen, who was lying on the hospital bed. His originally jet-black hair was now mixed with many gray strands. Simon felt distressed and quickly asked the specialists, “What happened? Is this some kind of disease?”Dr. Moore nervously asked, “Have there been similar situations in the family history?”Simon shook his head. “If it’s not a hereditary disease, the gray hair could only be due to overwhelming stress, an emotional breakdown, or heartbreak.”Heartbreak? Simon thought of Lily’s death. He knew Stephen still maintained a great relationship with Lily. They had been playmates since they were young, true childhood sweethearts, and Lily had even said she wanted to marry Stephen as a child. Now that Lily had poisoned herself to death, it must have been a huge blow to Stephen. “Give him a prescription for treatment.” Simon said, “Money is not an iss
The next morning, Scott and Cora brought their child up the mountain again. They heard that someone had died on Drakthorn Ridge, so they hurriedly brought paraphernalia that could ward off evil and misfortune. Cora was cleaning the house for Ethan, saying she wanted to chase away all the filth and bad energy, while Scott walked around, spraying holy water, and vigorously scrubbed the path in front of the mansion. Just as the two were busy, Stephen walked down from the mountain, staggering and unsteady. When Scott, who was cleaning the path, saw him, he was shocked. At this moment, Stephen was pale, and his hair had turned gray, making him appear like a dying man.“Hey, are you okay?” Scott quickly went to support him. “Is everything alright?”He shouted toward the mansion, “Honey! Can you bring a glass of water? Hurry!”“What’s up?” Cora hurriedly came out with a jug of water. “Coming!”When she saw Stephen, she was also stunned. “Did you lose your way in Drakthorn Ridge? How
On the mountain path, as the crowd dwindled away, neither Jason nor the other Fords spared Stephen a single glance before leaving. It was as if he had become invisible.Police Chief Liam was the only one who said anything to Stephen before leaving. "My condolences."After Liam left, Stephen was alone on the mountain path. He remained slumped on the ground, unable to accept that Lily was gone.A few minutes later, Stephen saw that Ethan's villa door was still open. He struggled to his feet and walked toward the villa like a lost soul. No one had told him why Lily would have ingested poison. He wanted to know why she had chosen to end her life. Did Ethan force her to ingest it?As soon as he entered the living room, he shouted at Ethan, "She's dead. Are you satisfied? Were you the one who drove her to her death?!"Ethan responded calmly while staring at Stephen, "Do you have any evidence?"Stephen had none. He was merely looking for an outlet to express his pain. "Lily's last cal
Stephen couldn't believe what he just heard. He asked in disbelief, "Dad, what did you just say?"Simon spoke gravely, "Lily Ford is dead. She poisoned herself.”Clatter.Stephen’s phone fell to the floor. At that moment, he felt all his strength drain away.Just a short while ago, Lily had called him, wanting to see him one last time. Now the next news he heard of her was that she had taken her own life!"No! It's impossible! She wouldn't do something so foolish. You're lying, you're all lying!" He clutched his head, his whole body shaking."What's wrong?" Rachel was startled by Stephen's reaction and quickly got up to ask.Stephen came to his senses. Ignoring Rachel, he quickly picked up his phone. "Where is she? Where is she now?"Simon answered, "In the capital. She seems to have been on Drakthorn Ridge."Whoosh.Stephen immediately got out of bed, hastily put on his clothes, and rushed out of the room."Where are you going?" Rachel shouted. However, she got no response.
Lily smiled and reached out her hand, gently stroking Jason's face. "It's nice here, but there's somewhere else I want to go now."Jason grabbed her hand. "Lily, don't go. I promise you won't have to marry Sebastian. I won't agree with anyone! Please don't go. Stay with me, please!"Lily smiled brightly at these words. She still thought Stephen was speaking to her.The bodyguards nearby were also getting teary-eyed.Lily held Jason's hand. "When you're old, will you dream of me? I won't wait for you. By then, I'll surely be reborn into a good family. But if I have the chance, I'll definitely come find you. When that time comes, make sure you manage Riveria well and become a well-known figure, so I can find you more easily."It's getting a bit cold. Stephen, hold me tight... I'm a little scared."Only then did Jason realize she was mistaking him for Stephen, but he still held her tightly. He sobbed, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I’m here!"Lily's gaze seemed to look past him
Meanwhile…Rachel had pulled Stephen into their room.Unable to find any trace of Lily at the foot of the mountain, Jason felt that something was amiss. After asking around, he learned that no one was seen driving down. At this point, alarm bells started ringing in his head.He quickly led his men up to the summit where he found Lily."Lily!" Seeing her standing at the cliff's edge, his heart lurched, and he cried out, "Calm down! Get away from there!"Lily turned to look at him, her face already streaked with tears. She had wanted to see Stephen one last time but was unable to. Instead, it was Jason, her brother who wanted to drag her back, who found her."We can talk about the marriage. Just come here first.” Jason inched forward carefully. "Come to me. I'll make things right."Lily shook her head, knowing these were just lies to trick her. Once they got her back to the Fords, these words would mean nothing."Brother, don't lie to me," she responded. "I know that you’re only