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Chapter 232
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 233
Stephen’s flashlight was as bright as the sun, stopping right beside Ethan’s face, blurring his features. Hence, people could only make out his figure. “He looks a little familiar, but I can’t recall where I’ve seen him before.”Many people commented, “Yeah, he looks familiar.”“Where exactly have we seen him before?”“Search the internet! Find any young man that looks similar to this person in the photo!”The internet started searching for the identity of the Grand Marshal’s mysterious mentee. When Stephen saw it, his back was drenched in sweat. In a panic, he dialed Simon’s number. “Dad, someone has posted a recording online, and everyone is looking for Ethan now.”Simon also saw the video online. He immediately ordered the video to be deleted and banned it from being posted online. “They might be searching, but they can’t possibly find Ethan that quickly.” Simon comforted Stephen while also assuring himself. “The people will start with the young and promising individual
The Guardian's Return Chapter 234
Why had Ethan not mentioned it before? If he had said he was the Grand Marshal’s mentee, would things have come to that point?Little did Simon know that Ethan had mentioned it more than once, but Stephen did not believe it. “If Shawn and Howard didn’t post those photos, we would’ve almost gotten away with it.”At the thought of Shawn and Howard, Simon’s eyes lit up as an idea struck him.“It’s fake.” Simon said, “I’ve investigated it. These posts and photos all came from beyond the border. Someone is intentionally stirring up trouble, and I suspect it to be Shawn and Howard.”The others immediately found it possible, but they still had someone check the origin of those posts. Sure enough, they were from beyond the border. “It seems like they’re really intent on causing trouble.”“How despicable. They’ve escaped, yet instead of hiding, how dare they show themselves again?”“We need to arrest them quickly!”“But for now, most importantly, we must clear up the situation.”The
The Guardian's Return Chapter 235
All of the passersby were shocked. They quickly looked at those women, gazes full of admiration. Reporters caught wind of the news and arrived to interview the crowd. “Ethan impersonated the Grand Marshal’s mentee and is now hated by the majority. Why are you helping him?”“Mr. Rivers did not impersonate anyone. He is the Grand Marshal’s mentee.”“Do you have evidence?”A few women silently took out photos of their late husbands and proof of their sacrifice. The reporters looked at them, stunned. “Our husbands were once at the frontlines with Mr. Rivers.”“Is this evidence enough?”The usually quick-witted reporter was at a loss for words at that moment. Should she question them or their husbands? If she did, she might as well resign now. Should she question Ethan? That would be questioning the widows of those heroes before her, and public opinion could kill her. “Mr. Rivers brought Daddy back to us himself. He kept apologizing to us,” a girl said loudly. “Mr. Rivers
The Guardian's Return Chapter 236
Simon knew it must have to do with Ethan.Earlier, when Howard, Shawn, and the others stood up for Ethan, he could chalk it up to them stirring up trouble. However, what about the South Regent and the heroes’ widows speaking up?The South Regent had personally admitted that Ethan was the man who killed his father and defeated him many times. What did that imply? The King Beyond The Border was openly airing his dirty laundry. Could it possibly be just to stir up trouble?Someone like the South Regent, with his reputation and dignity, would never tarnish themselves to help an enemy.It would make more sense if he were jumping up and shouting, “Ethan Rivers is impersonating the late Grand Marshall’s mentee! Execute him now!” However, he was speaking on Ethan’s behalf instead, and that could only mean one thing: the South Regent was deeply impressed by Ethan. He admired his adversary and did not want to see him defeated by such underhanded schemes!As for the widows, how could their
The Guardian's Return Chapter 237
Simon fell silent.“Say something,” someone urged.“I don’t know,” he replied, struggling to come up with an excuse. He could only attempt to argue, “Maybe he really thinks stirring up trouble is more important than revenge.”Everyone looked at him in disbelief.Was the South Regent a fool? If he truly thought that way, he would not have held the title of King Beyond the Border for three years.“If you can’t explain the South Regent, what about the heroes’ widows? They’ve all spoken up. Are they lying too?”That was the part Simon found most frustrating. How could he possibly cover it up?Slowly, he sank into a chair, speechless. Even though he had turned many situations around before, he felt utterly doomed this time. The widows and the South Regent’s statements together were a fatal blow.Simon regretted everything now. If only he had not made such a big deal out of it, and the widows and the South Regent had remained in the dark, none of it would have happened.He thought
The Guardian's Return Chapter 238
“Using the public opinion online against Stephen is the best strategy now. As for the widows, Ethan had helped them in the past, so they were momentarily confused and chose to lie on his behalf. However, Stephen treats them very well too. He has promised them that no matter what Ethan gave them, he would give them more!”Simon wanted to steal credit for what Ethan did—to take away everything that belonged to Ethan!The others suddenly realized the truth. “I see.”“So that’s how it is.”“In that case, it means Ethan tried to impersonate the Grand Marshal’s mentee in hopes of lessening his crimes.”“The South Regent even cooperated with him. Maybe Ethan is planning to defect. We should assign more people to watch him.”Simon could not help but smile as he listened to the murmurs around him.Yes, that was exactly the result he wanted!All the good was attributed to Stephen, while all the bad would be pinned on Ethan. They were determined to squeeze out every last bit of value ou
The Guardian's Return Chapter 239
If not for George’s quick thinking this time, they would have been in serious trouble.The South Regent asked, “So, why did you call me? Did you want to show off?”“No,” said Simon. “I’m here to negotiate.”The South Regent understood that Simon wanted to buy his silence.“500 billion dollars.”“That’s too much.”Simon could accept 50 million, but 500 billion? Not even tycoons had that much money.“Think carefully. The money you pay this time isn’t just to save Richard but also your entire family.”Simon gritted his teeth. “300 billion.”The South Regent said, “400 billion.”“300 billion, take it or leave it. Riveria doesn’t have as much money as it used to.”If it were during the peak of Riveria, he would not have been concerned about 300 billion. After all, Riveria used to have a GDP of 15 trillion.“Deal.”The South Regent knew it was the maximum offer, and 300 billion was still a significant amount, enough to support his 200 thousand men for a year.While 300 billion
The Guardian's Return Chapter 240
Once, Ethan had been the Grand Marshal’s mentee.The Grand Marshal had sacrificed everything for Riveria, and as his mentee, Ethan inherited the Grand Marshal’s responsibilities after he passed. In other words, it was Ethan’s duty to carry on the Grand Marshal’s legacy.Now that Stephen had taken Ethan’s identity, he had also taken on the responsibility of carrying on Grand Marshal’s legacy! Now, he had to face all the enemies, both inside and outside of Riveria!What about Ethan? Since he was no longer the Grand Marshal’s mentee, Riveria’s affairs no longer had anything to do with him.How could that happen?Stephen could not smile anymore. That was not what he had anticipated. He thought that by stealing Ethan’s identity, Ethan would be left with nothing. However, contrary to his expectations, Ethan was freed from all burdens!“It seems you finally understand,” Ethan said with a calm smile. “So, let me ask you again. Are you truly ready for this?”Stephen gulped. He was alread
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 817
Hugo waited until Natalie fell asleep before leaving the hospital ward with the South Regent. He said in a low voice, “Please take me to see Mr. Rivers.”From that moment onward, he also addressed Ethan as Mr. Rivers.Ethan did not only save his life but also Natalie’s. He would repay that debt with his life.“Are you sure?” the South Regent asked. “If you take Natalie and her grandfather back to Metropolis now, you can stay out of all of this.”Natalie’s grandfather’s health had also stabilized after treatment.If Hugo wished, he could take them back to Metropolis, where the medical treatments were better. Furthermore, Hugo had worked as a psychologist for many years and even treated Stephen, so he had saved up over a million dollars.If he managed his finances well, he would not become rich, but it was enough for Natalie to grow up safe and healthy and ensure that her grandfather retired peacefully.Hugo did not hesitate. “I’ve made up my mind.”He played a part in how things
The Guardian's Return Chapter 816
“Stephen has always lived in Riveria. He is the Grand Marshal’s sole mentee and the one who brought three years of peace to Riveria. Ethan is a corrupt criminal.”Scrolling further down, there was also an apology video from Stephen. He claimed that the statement was true and expressed regret that he caused an outcry and wasted public resources.Hugo fell completely silent after watching it.How could this be? Others might not know whether Stephen truly was the Grand Marshal’s mentee or not, but he did.Victor had told him about Ethan’s achievements. Even assassins feared Ethan. Stephen had also admitted in front of him who Ethan really was.Only Ethan could save Riveria.In the past, Hugo thought that Stephen was just being misled and used, which was why he wanted to help him.However, now, Stephen insisted that he was the Grand Marshal’s mentee and that he was the one who had managed Riveria in the past.As a psychologist, Hugo could tell from Stephen’s expressions in the vide
The Guardian's Return Chapter 815
The doctors told Hugo what happened.“Back then, you had already lost too much blood. You’re lucky that there was a young man with the same blood type as you when you were brought in, so he gave you a transfusion. Then, our family head sent us to take care of you. If not for our excellent medical skills, you probably wouldn’t have woken up.”Hugo was confused. “Family head? Did Simon send you?”The two doctors suddenly froze, their expressions turning dark.“Watch what you say. Simon didn’t send us. Ugh!”They were so angry that they stopped the examination.Hugo was stunned at the sudden change in their attitude. They were not sent by Simon? Furthermore, why did they react so strongly to the mention of Simon’s name? If not Simon, who else could be the ‘family head’?“Who sent you?” Hugo asked in confusion.“We’re from the Ledger family,” the doctor said coldly. “Who’s Simon? We don’t know him. Don’t lump us in with that filth.”“Huh?” Hugo was still bewildered. “The Ledger fa
The Guardian's Return Chapter 814
Tyler frowned. “What happened?”“It’s about Riveria.” Nolan handed his phone to Tyler. “Simon and Stephen have completely lost all shame. I can’t believe they said something like this.”After reading the news, Tyler’s expression darkened. “Although I know they’re shameless, I still underestimated them.”In the past, they had slandered Ethan and stole his achievements. Now, after being exposed, they fabricated evidence and worked with headquarters to deceive the public.“Tyler, what should we do?” Nolan asked. “I can’t stand by while they slander Mr. Rivers like this.”Tyler said, “Let me think.”To them, Ethan was their savior. Without Ethan, the Spencers would never have made it out of Riveria alive. It was thanks to Ethan stepping in that they had a chance to start over.However, Simon was shamelessly going further to distort the truth and rewrite history. They could not watch this happen. The truth had to be exposed!A moment later, Tyler said in a low voice, “Let’s go to Ri
The Guardian's Return Chapter 813
The netizens had mostly been deceived by the internet trolls.When they saw Simon and headquarters both speaking out, they fully believed that Stephen was innocent and that everything was part of Leo and Ethan’s schemes. Even the few who had firmly believed in Ethan began to doubt themselves.Online, the uproar gradually died down. At that moment, Simon took the next step! He had someone publish the recording of the gala and instructed the trolls to guide the audience in revisiting the highlights.With that, both he and Stephen were completely safe.When people reviewed the gala recording, it also boosted Riveria’s popularity. It was killing multiple birds with one stone!Simon did not rest. Instead, he took the official statement and the trending discussions online and headed to the jail to meet Leo.“Has he confessed yet?” Simon asked the staff.After Leo was imprisoned, he had been questioned who the mastermind behind this was.“No. He keeps saying there’s no mastermind.”S
The Guardian's Return Chapter 812
“Yeah. I’m from Breeze City. If Stephen is driven away by all your insults, what are we supposed to do?”“All this is part of Ethan’s scheme. He’s deliberately trying to frame Stephen!”This was the next phase of their attack. They accused everyone of being too extreme and then created a victim narrative to gain sympathy. Finally, they flipped the story. Stephen was the pure-hearted and selfless one while Ethan was the true villain!While the internet was being flooded with manipulated narratives, Simon was not idle either. He felt that fabricating transaction records and hiring internet trolls alone was not enough. Ne needed more fabricated evidence.Thus, he had several people in Riveria publicly claim that Stephen had been the one managing Riveria all along.Ethan Rivers? Never heard of him!After a day of work, Simon was drenched in sweat. He felt his heart pound as if it might leap out of his throat.After all, he had not rested properly for days because of the gala. Furthe
The Guardian's Return Chapter 811
Simon stayed up all night thinking.The next morning, a little after 6 a.m., he called someone to forge records that Stephen had lived in Riveria before.At the gala, someone had questioned whether Stephen really was the Grand Marshal’s mentee. His response at that time was that Stephen had always lived in Riveria.Now, he had to fabricate those records as soon as possible and release them publicly. Protecting Stephen’s identity as ‘the Grand Marshal’s sole heir’ was extremely important. As long as that narrative was maintained, it would minimize suspicions from others.“But that’s not enough.”Simon continued to take action and hired internet trolls. Since he could not suppress the public’s interest, he personally intervened and made the trolls comment that Stephen was the one in charge of Riveria while Ethan was a corrupt criminal and that Leo was spewing nonsense!As soon as the money was paid, the trolls began their work.“You guys say that Ethan was the one in charge of Riv
The Guardian's Return Chapter 810
However, the event was quickly losing steam! Leo had shifted everyone’s attention away, and people were more curious about Ethan and Stephen’s true identities. The whole internet buzzed with discussions, and many were engaged in fierce arguments. Even if Simon tried to suppress the controversy, it was nearly impossible to stop it. Quite a few people were even starting to leave the event. Many planned to stay in Breeze City for a few days and tour the city, but after experiencing the incident, they no longer trusted Simon. Therefore, they changed their plans and decided to leave the next day!By the time the event ended at 1 a.m., the audience present had dropped to less than half of the original count. When Simon and Stephen took the stage and saw the half-empty seats, they felt dispirited. The celebrities and singers who attended the event could also barely manage a smile. They regretted coming. The scandal surrounding Stephen’s real identity could easily engulf them, and the l
The Guardian's Return Chapter 809
Stephen immediately raised his head and asked, “Where is she?”Simon fell silent. He had no idea where Lily was. Perhaps only Ethan would know her whereabouts, and he did not know how to answer Stephen. Stephen frowned as he waited for a response. “What’s wrong? Didn’t you say she’s alive? Why don’t you tell me where she is?”Simon took a deep breath. “It might not be the best time to tell you now.”He still tried to brush it off. “What do you mean?” Stephen was getting anxious. “Do you want me to get on my knees and beg you? Don’t you know how important she is to me?” Stephen pointed at his gray hair. “I want to see her again so badly.”As Simon lowered his head, looking conflicted, Stephen fell to his knees with a bam. “What are you doing?” Simon exclaimed and quickly pulled him up. At that point, he realized that he could not hide it anymore. He did not want to say that Ethan saved Lily, but only Ethan knew where she was now. Even if he wanted to lie, he could not. W
