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Chapter 278
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 279
What was going on? Why did Stephen suddenly kneel to Ethan?Simon had just said that Stephen was sacrificing for Celestial City while Ethan was cold and ruthless. Now, Stephen was kneeling to Ethan, which was like saying his so-called sacrifice was kneeling to Ethan, begging him to solve Celestial City’s problems!In the meeting room, everyone watched Simon with doubtful eyes. “Is this your son’s sacrifice?”What sacrifice? All he did was bring trouble to Celestial City and kneel to beg someone. Was that his contribution? Simon gulped. How could he explain this? Stephen had knelt to Ethan in front of everyone. He could not talk his way out of it!He regretted it now. He should not have connected the video to the big screen. Otherwise, only he would know about Stephen kneeling to Ethan. The others would not have seen it!His clever plan had backfired!“Get up now!” Simon roared into his phone. Stephen heard him and wanted to get up. He had wanted to stand up since he returne
The Guardian's Return Chapter 280
Simon had someone get Dr. Rodman’s contact information, and soon, they obtained his phone number. In the meeting room, one of them dialed Dr. Rodman’s number. They stated their identity and promised Dr. Rodman many benefits as long as he saved Lucas. Dr. Rodman knew it would be hard to refuse them this time. After all, it was a call from the federal government, and he could not go against them alone.He could only say, “I can help, but let me see Mr. Rivers first.”The group looked at Ethan. They could not understand why so many people sided with him. Contacting Dr. Rodman directly was their last resort, so they had to agree to his request and let him see Ethan. Half an hour later, Dr. Rodman finally met Ethan. “Mr. Rivers!” Dr. Rodman was excited. “So you’re here. A lot has happened in Riveria while you were gone.”Ethan nodded. “I know. But telling me this is pointless. I don’t manage Riveria anymore; they do.”Ethan looked at Stephen and George. They slightly lowered t
The Guardian's Return Chapter 281
Ethan did not explain anything and bluntly said that he intended to openly slander them, just like what they had done to him. He was simply giving them a taste of their own medicine!However, Stephen and the others had no way to refute him or explain. They did have evidence of Stephen trying to save Lucas, including standing outside Ethan’s door for the whole night, but could they upload it?It was a scene of Stephen kneeling to Ethan!If they spread the video, it could expose Ethan’s lies, but what were the consequences?Stephen, the Grand Marshal’s student, who restored peace to Riveria three years ago, finally met Ethan after waiting for a night. He even knelt to Ethan the moment he saw him. How could they bear this humiliation?Therefore, it was clear that they could not release the evidence. The people in the meeting room were all horrified. Ethan had them completely under his control. Even if they had the evidence, it was futile.If they did not use it, Stephen would be
The Guardian's Return Chapter 282
The sudden turn of events stunned the men surrounding Ethan, but they reacted quickly, pointing their guns at Ethan. “What are you doing?” Elijah was drenched in cold sweat.“How dare you point a gun at me? Put the guns down now!”Ethan was obviously using him as a human shield. If his subordinates opened fire, while Ethan would die, he would die sooner!Hearing their leader’s orders, the men could only lower their guns. “Why don’t we talk it out?” Elijah sounded weaker. “Let me go first, and we’ll find somewhere to talk. What do you say?”Ethan knew he was deceiving him. As long as he moved the gun away, Elijah would have a chance to fight back. “Spare me these tricks you’d use on children.”Elijah went silent for a moment and said, “Calm down. If I die, you’ll have no way out either.”Ethan smiled faintly. “I came alone and was surrounded by a hundred of your men. I don’t think I can leave alive. If I’m going to die anyway, it’s not too bad to have you accompany me.”Elija
The Guardian's Return Chapter 283
He wanted to kill the person responsible for putting him in this situation!However, when he raised his gun, appearing to aim at Ethan, it also seemed like he was targeting the South Regent!The South Regent’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately fired. Bang!With a gunshot, the bullet struck Elijah right in the middle of his forehead.Elijah’s eyes widened as he fell backward, his fingers still repeatedly pulling the trigger. Click. Click. Click. There was no gunshot! Elijah held an empty gun!The South Regent immediately widened his eyes in shock, watching the scene in disbelief. He had been tricked! Ethan used him to kill Elijah!The South Regent stared at Ethan. “You knew there were no bullets in his gun, so you used my hand to kill him!”Ethan smiled. “A man like that wasn’t worth dirtying my hands.”He took out the empty magazine and casually threw it to the South Regent. “Thanks.”Thanks?The South Regent was not pleased in the least bit. He knew he ha
The Guardian's Return Chapter 284
Simon agreed wholeheartedly. He must keep Ethan locked up in the mountains. Even if the sky collapsed, they could not release him. Dr. Rodman followed Stephen and George to a hospital in Celestial City. With him performing the surgery, Lucas was able to get out of danger. He could wake up in a few days. Then, after two months of rest and recovery in the hospital, he could be released and return to his home. When the villagers heard that Lucas was saved, they were so moved that they knelt to thank Dr. Rodman. Reporters also came to interview him. Facing the show of gratitude and interviews, Dr. Rodman said, “The person you should thank is not me but Ethan. Mr. Rivers asked me to save him.”The reporter frowned. “Wasn't it Stephen and George?”“No. They did not care about Lucas’s life at all. If Mr. Rivers hadn’t received word that Lucas was in a critical situation, he most likely would’ve died.”The reporter was shocked. What explosive news!Stephen and George were the cul
The Guardian's Return Chapter 285
“Stephen, what do you want to do?”“With 6 grand, you want to steal the land that people shed blood to protect?”“I can’t believe I’ve praised him for waiving all construction costs to build a new village and thought he did a good thing. Now, it seems like I’m blind. Was this something that rebuilding the village could solve?”“Stephen, we demand an explanation. You owe it to our heroes!”The public was enraged, and the reputation Stephen had painstakingly rebuilt plummeted in a day. Frightened, he quickly called Simon for a solution. Simon had also seen the comments online, and even messages from beyond the border. “Stephen did it intentionally, didn’t he? He wanted to kill all the heroes and destroy our spirit. How vile!”“As long as Stephen remains, Riveria is doomed.”“Execute Stephen!”Simon investigated it and found that these were all messages from the people who had fled beyond the border. He ordered all the messages to be deleted in a fit of anger. Ethan’s plan
The Guardian's Return Chapter 286
The awards ceremony ended smoothly.In the evening, the villagers gradually moved into the community.Everyone’s noses tingled when they looked at the luxurious and beautiful neighborhood. They never thought that they would one day live in such a place.The families returned to their homes, preparing to celebrate by whipping up a feast.Stephen and George watched from outside.The photographer broadcasted the event live, and the audience in the stream was full of admiration.“They’ve worked hard for all their lives and can finally enjoy some peace.”“Although I’m a bit envious that they can live in such big houses, I know they’ve earned it.”“The community is so lively. It feels like a New Year celebration.”“It really is lively, but has anyone else noticed that no one is inviting George and Stephen in?”“Yeah, even Dr. Rodman was invited in, but why not George and Stephen?”“I can understand George not being invited, but isn’t Stephen the Grand Marshal’s mentee? He’s done s
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Many people added insult to the injury, mocking Stephen further. “You deserve it!”“Do you want our pity? Truth be told, you brought it all onto yourself.”“What’s this called? This is karma. You’ve done terrible things, and now that your childhood sweetheart is dead, you realize how painful it is, huh?”“It was unlucky for Lily to have met someone like you.”Stephen did not dare to read the comments. In the past, he had spread rumors about Ethan to make everyone misunderstand the man and launch relentless attacks on Ethan online. At that time, he felt delighted about it. Now, it was his turn, and even his friends and Lily were dragged into it. Stephen was heartbroken, and regret consumed him. He knew the words that attacked Ethan were fake. Ethan had never embezzled or bribed anyone. He made everything up, and worst of all, the anger of others did not affect Ethan. However, the criticisms aimed at him were all true. He had indeed done too many wrongs that he now regretted
The Guardian's Return Chapter 665
Simon had tried to retain businesses, but only small, insignificant ones stayed. The large and medium-sized enterprises that comprised the bulk of Breeze City’s economic activities all chose to leave.The only solution he could think of now was to create new opportunities to attract other businesses."And the development zone issue must be addressed too."Simon knew that the problem would not just disappear if they ignored it."We'll have to spend money to fix it."He thought they could use Breeze City's funds to fill that hole, though the impact would be enormous since the city barely had any money left. As such, he planned a meeting the next day to discuss those plans.He found Stephen in his room. "Get some rest with Rachel. You'll need to attend a meeting with me tomorrow."In the room, Rachel had not forgotten her main purpose—to have Stephen's child.Now that they were in the same room, she tried to seduce him again. However, when Stephen saw her lying undressed on the be
The Guardian's Return Chapter 664
Stephen pushed his hand away. "You don't understand.""No, I understand perfectly." The man's weathered face showed no emotion, but his words stopped Stephen in his tracks."I lost my wife in a car accident, and my child to a terminal illness. Yet here I am, year after year, each difficult, but still getting by."After that, he turned and left, leaving Stephen staring at his back.While Stephen was still lost in thought, the funeral began.Everyone gathered in the cemetery to watch as "Lily's ashes" were lowered into the ground. Many people began crying softly. Stephen stood at the front, holding a white rose. Though silent, his eyes were red, tears threatening to fall.After the ground was filled in and people began laying down roses, Stephen spotted a familiar face in the crowd. It was Ethan!Stephen stopped in his steps, wondering why Ethan was there. After all, the man had no connection to the Fords.After Ethan laid down his rose, Stephen quickly caught up to him as he was
The Guardian's Return Chapter 663
Seeing him silent with his head bowed, no one else approached to speak with him.Meanwhile, in a distant room, Ethan took a sip from his teacup, sampling the supposedly premium tea from an elite family. Finding it rather ordinary, he set down the cup and asked softly, "You don't want to see him?"Beside him, Lily gently shook her head."No."After experiencing death, she gained clarity about many things. The current situation could not be changed by her wishes alone.Stephen was not the head of the Quinn family, just as Jason was not yet the head of the Fords. They all had to mind their families' opinions and follow their orders.That was why meeting Stephen now would not change anything; it would only create more problems. Besides… "I have more important things to do now."She glanced sideways at a young woman standing nearby. It was Snow.Ethan had brought Snow there to show Lily another world. Born into the Ford family, Lily had grown up wealthy and privileged, thinking
The Guardian's Return Chapter 662
The next day, Stephen, Simon, and Rachel went to the Fords’ residence for the funeral.The Fords’ mansion was packed that day, with representatives from various families. Many business executives and celebrities were in attendance too. Some of them had red, swollen eyes, clearly devastated by Lily's death. However, the moment Stephen appeared, all eyes turned to him.Everyone present was influential and knew about Stephen's relationship with Lily. They had grown up as childhood friends, and everyone remembered Lily always saying she wanted to marry Stephen one day.When they saw Stephen's graying hair, everyone was stunned, and a shiver ran down their spines.Just six months ago, Stephen had jet-black hair and was an air of confidence. He was the epitome of a young business prodigy, admired by every up-and-coming member of elite families and companies. Now, however, his hair was gray, his energy completely drained, and he walked with a slight stoop. He hardly looked like the youn
The Guardian's Return Chapter 661
"Don't be nervous," Ethan said. "What I need you to do is simple. All you need to do is say one sentence."Simon felt increasingly uneasy. "What is it?""Tell the Fords that the Quinns unconditionally support all of Jason Ford's decisions."Simon slammed his hands on the table with a bang. "You–"That would pit him against the Fords!Now that Lily had been rescued, Jason would certainly oppose some of the Fords’ decisions. When that happened, the family would pressure Jason. If Simon publicly stood with Jason on behalf of the Quinns, it would mean openly opposing the Fords. Although both Jason and Lily would be safe that way, the Fords would hold a grudge against the Quinns until Jason became the head of the family. Moreover, once Jason became the head of the family, his gratitude would be for Ethan, not Simon or the Quinns. After all, it was Ethan who saved Lily and sent the Quinns to help.If Stephen found out that Lily was still alive and that Simon knew yet secretly support
The Guardian's Return Chapter 660
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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 659
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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 658
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
