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Chapter 174
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 175
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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 176
“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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 177
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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 178
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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 179
“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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 180
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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 181
The reply caught George off guard. Stephen did not care what happened to Aqua City? “Are you out of your mind? Do you know what that means?” George raised his voice. However, judging Stephen’s reaction, he realized it was not a joke. “This is bad.” George then shoved Stephen into the car and dialed Simon’s number while standing outside. “Something is wrong. Stephen, he’s not like himself. He’s lifeless, dispirited, like a…” He hesitated to say, like a corpse, but he could not bring himself to say it. Simon asked, “Put him on. I want to talk to him.” George put the phone next to Stephen’s ear. “Stephen, what are you doing? Aqua City needs you the most now. You can’t leave it!” Still, Stephen remained indifferent. “It’s just a woman! With your status and power, you can get whoever you want!” “I just want Snow,” Stephen said weakly. Simon was rendered speechless. George, standing nearby, tried to jump in. “There are a lot of women in this world, and you’re still
The Guardian's Return Chapter 182
The tourists and athletes were outraged by the prices. It was not just that everything was expensive, but the service was unacceptable and the food was terrible too.Due to water pollution, the fish farmed locally lacked the freshness they once had. The taste had long since deteriorated, but the prices kept going up. A plate of fishcakes was selling for 200 dollars. Even when consumers reported the restaurant to the authorities, no one really cared. The whole system was rigged, with everyone in on it together. Given the current situation, with an influx of tourists, shutting down hotels, restaurants, or agritourism farms would leave many stranded. It would also hurt the local economy. Therefore, even if a fine was issued, they were nothing much. The local authorities would usually just mediate with the complainants by having the restaurant refund a small portion of their money. Even so, the restaurants and tourist spots were earning big bucks, which fueled their arrogance. “If
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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
