“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything.” Mark said, “I told you, I’m here to establish myself in Celestial City. Why would I dirty my hands?”Mark’s voice was so calm that Stephen felt a chill go down his spine.For an instant, many scenes flashed through his mind.The attackers at the speech, the criminals who kidnapped Richard, and the thugs who kidnapped another businessman’s child.Stephen had a bad feeling and hurriedly rushed out of the station, trying to call Mr. Lynch. However, no matter how many times he dialed the number, the line did not connect. He quickly informed the police chief and told them to search for Mr. Lynch.Then, he called George to assist in the search. “Find Mr. Lynch now! He’s in danger!”Stephen thought of the armed thugs. Since Mark was arrested, they would definitely try to eliminate Mr. Lynch, the last witness.If anything happened to Mr. Lynch, they would lose all evidence against Mark! They would no longer be able to convict him!Meanwhile, Mr. Holt
After hearing this news, Stephen instantly understood what was happening. Mark wanted to get rid of Gary.However, he did not need to take action, and neither did the criminals have to. They would use someone else to do the dirty work.Mr. Holt would be the one to kill Gary.If the two business rivals killed each other, how much chaos would that cause in Celestial City?It would not only cause public outrage but even result in the remaining businesses living in fear! Some might think of fleeing, and those who fled would not dare to come back.Stephen realized that he had to stop Mr. Holt. If Mr. Holt killed Gary, it would be over.If Gary died, no one could testify against Mark. He would be acquitted. Furthermore, he would be the only business left in Celestial City.All Stephen could do was support him!Not only would he fail to bring Mark to justice, but he might also be forced to support Mark as the new leader of Celestial City’s economy! It was absurd.Just then, George fo
Stephen found Mark and stared at him coldly. “Your plan succeeded.”Now, Mark could openly set up shop in Celestial City since he was the only large enterprise left. Stephen had no choice but to support him, making him the leading business.Mark smiled. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”Stephen said, “Even if you claim not to understand, I’ll be watching you.” He had to find a flaw with Mark. Once Celestial City stabilized, he would get rid of Mark.“Don’t make it sound so frightening.” Mark said, “No matter what, I’ve made contributions.”“Contributions?” Stephen frowned. “What contributions?”He almost went mad from anger. The chaos in Celestial City now was all thanks to Mark.“First, while everyone else pulled out of Celestial City to save themselves, only I stayed. Second, I caught the two thugs who tried to kill you and found the kidnapped child.”Boom!Stephen’s body shook, his face full of shock. He anticipated the first point, but he did not expect the second!
In the meeting room at headquarters, everyone was shocked when they learned about the situation in Celestial City.The South Regent dared to start a business in Celestial City.Furthermore, he had used schemes to drive away all the other businesses, making him the only major company left, which made it difficult for Stephen to act.Since the city was still in turmoil, Mark’s company had become its economic backbone. If anything happened to it, Celestial City’s economy would collapse completely.They could still arrest Mark, but that would come at too high a price.First, the economy would crash. Second, Mark was a hero who had captured the criminals.They all felt trapped.“At this point, we have no choice but to support him. Once the economy stabilizes, we can gather enough evidence and arrest him.”The others nodded in agreement.After the meeting, Simon called Stephen.“Have people infiltrate his company and gather evidence, but don’t make any other moves. Support the comp
Stephen snapped back to his senses and stared at George in shock, wondering if he had heard wrongly.George continued, “I’m the one managing Riveria now. You can pin all the blame on me.”He understood now.The enemies Riveria had to face were not fools. The South Regent was still untouched and would surely make more moves in the future.George felt that his own family background would not be enough to protect him.However, Stephen’s could. He was the young master of the Quinns, one of the largest families in Metropolis. Even if Stephen could no longer stay in Riveria, he could still return home.Thus, George decided to sacrifice himself to earn Stephen’s favor. If he faced any misfortune in the future, the Quinns would still protect him!Stephen looked at George gratefully. “Thank you.”“It’s nothing.” George smiled bitterly. He never thought that he would be in such a situation one day.His heart was filled with regret. If he had not driven Ethan away back then, would things
Mark worked for the South Regent, and his intention of entering Celestial City was not to help the city but to line his own pockets.As for the criminals that he caught, they were actually his subordinates!Mark only sacrificed two of his men to gain public favor. Now, everyone believed that Mark was a good man.In the future, Stephen would have to be extremely careful of any move he made against Mark.Seeing the compliments, Stephen realized that he had to act quickly and bring Mark to justice. Otherwise, once the truth came out, the people praising him today would scold him with equal fervor.The next day, George’s punishment was announced: a major demerit, a written self-reflection, and a public apology.Riveria would be managed by Stephen again, with George assisting him.The punishment was relatively light thanks to Simon asking for leniency. Without his help, it would have been much harsher.The Internet was not satisfied though.“It’s not the death penalty?”“George re
George gritted his teeth at the South Regent. When he saw the South Regent, he immediately pulled out his phone to call for help.However, the South Regent’s two subordinates acted quickly and pulled out their guns, aiming at George and Rachel.“Hand over your phones.”Since this was Ethan’s house, they did not dare to shoot. They only used the guns to threaten George and Rachel, taking away their phones.The South Regent smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m just here to catch up with an old friend. We’ll leave once I’m done chatting.”Ethan sat on the sofa and took a sip of tea. “We’re not old friends. Don’t flatter yourself.”The South Regent smiled awkwardly.George and Rachel saw the South Regent hold back his temper and were shocked.In their minds, the South Regent was ruthless. Anyone who spoke to him a little too loudly could result in them being beaten to death, but he could only force a smile after Ethan rebuffed him.The South Regent looked at the two and asked, “Why did you c
The South Regent remained silent. He knew that Ethan could do such a thing, so he must give Ethan an undeniable reason or force Ethan to make a move. It was like when they had saved Dr. Rodman. A single command from Ethan made the South Regent send soldiers to go after the leader who kidnapped Dr. Rodman. In the end, Ethan made the forces behind the leader come after him. The South Regent always thought that his plan to kidnap the tycoon, if not flawless, was at least impeccable. However, he realized it was full of loopholes after hearing what Ethan said. George felt his mouth go dry. Ethan could make another fortune or bring the tycoon back without exerting a single soldier or penny, but what about them? All they could do was obediently follow the South Regent's orders! George suddenly felt that the gap between them and Ethan was huge. Rachel also lowered her head. She thought Ethan would also be helpless, so she did not expect him to propose three ideas so easily! Moreove
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
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
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
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 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
"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
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