LOGINShare
Chapter 331
Related chapters
The Guardian's Return Chapter 332
George sneered, refusing to believe what Julius was saying.“I’d suggest you save your energy. Leave your excuses for when you get in prison!”Julius gritted his teeth in frustration. He knew he could not be arrested. He was the only one keeping watch on Nico now, and if he were to be locked up, Nico would be on the loose. When that time came, the orchards and farms would not be the only ones affected!“I can’t go with you,” Julius stated firmly. He could not get caught now that Nico had set his sights on Hill City. He must protect Hill City!Protecting Hill City meant protecting Stephen as well. If anything happened to Hill City, Stephen’s life would be over. “You don’t have a say in that.”George’s expression was cold. He could not back down because Julius worked for the South Regent and was trying to help the South Regent to destroy Hill City, just like all that had happened in the previous few cities. He must protect Hill City, and most importantly, he had to protect Ste
The Guardian's Return Chapter 333
At that moment, he realized that everything Tommy said was true, and Julius was right. Something was going on with Nico!He had been deceived. Nico was not a good guy, and Stone Village was not some hero village. Julius was not a villain either. In fact, he had been investigating the truth the entire time. Yet, they thought Nico was on their side and even awarded Stone Village the title of a hero village while treating Julius as the bad guy and having George lead a team to arrest him!He was totally fooled!“Shit. Nico wanted to use George to get rid of Julius. I must stop him.”Stephen quickly took out his phone and called George, who was fighting with a bloody nose in the factory. He had dropped his phone nearby, so he did not notice Stephen’s call coming through. The only thought in his mind now was to arrest Julius to protect Hill City and Stephen!Seeing that the call was not picked up, Stephen panicked. “Come with me!”He wanted to go to the factory to stop them, hoping
The Guardian's Return Chapter 334
Nico turned around and aimed his gun at George. “Calm down.” George tensed up in fear and subconsciously took a step back. “I’m calm.” Nico was about to pull the trigger when Tommy’s voice suddenly rang out at the door. “Dad, stop!”Startled, Nico turned to see Stephen and Tommy standing at the door. In shock, he immediately grabbed Julius, who was by his feet, and pressed the gun against his head. Seeing that he had a hostage, Stephen gulped and said, “Nico, calm down. Put Julius down.”Nico asked, “Why are you here?”Stephen and Tommy’s arrival was outside of his expectations. “Dad, put down the gun. This place is already surrounded,” Tommy replied.Stephen had brought the police, and George had also called them before coming over, so they were all waiting outside.“You betrayed me?” Nico glared at Tommy, enraged. “You’re my son. How could you betray me?”Tommy choked up, “I’m not betraying you. I just don’t want you to make any more mistakes.”He slowly walked tow
The Guardian's Return Chapter 335
Nico suddenly realized something. He thought that with Ethan imprisoned in Drakthorn Ridge, he was finally safe and could take his revenge on Hill City and Ethan. However, the truth was that he had never escaped Ethan’s grasp. “You will repeat your brother’s path.” Ethan’s words echoed in his ears.At that time, he thought he would be killed by his family, Tommy, like what happened to his brother, but now, he finally understood what Ethan meant. It turned out he would kill his own family again, and this time, it was his son. “Why? Why?”Nico looked down at Tommy’s lifeless body, tears streaming down his face. “Is this karma? Is it because I have blood on my hands? Is it all the crimes I’ve committed that caused my family’s suffering? Could this all be my doing?”His expression turned cold, and he gritted his teeth. “Ethan, you really want to stop me, huh? Do you really want to force me into a corner? Are you not going to let me go?”Stephen heard the aggressive tone in Ni
The Guardian's Return Chapter 336
Just then, Julius struggled, forcing himself to stand up. He knew he could not let Nico escape.With his last breath, he managed to pick up the gun lying on the ground. Although he stumbled around, his eyes were locked onto Nico’s back.He, the mayor of Hill City, had witnessed Hill City’s most difficult times many years ago. Back then, he had vowed never to let the city return to its old days. Yet now, Nico was destroying the city and about to escape while he himself was at death’s door.How could he let the criminal escape?Failing to recognize Nico’s plot was already a lapse in his duty. If he allowed Nico to escape, how could he face the citizens of Hill City and answer to the heroes who had sacrificed themselves for the city?Julius aimed the gun at Nico, his hands trembling. However, he gritted his teeth and ran toward Nico.Meanwhile, Nico walked out the door with his hands raised, looking at the people surrounding him with guns, and sneered disdainfully.So what if they
The Guardian's Return Chapter 337
Stephen sat frozen in place. What Julius said to him about not getting deceived again hit him hard. On his journey of managing Riveria, he had been deceived in every city and tricked by mayors three times.Stephen trembled, his face pale. What did he have to do to know whether someone was tricking him? What was real, and what was fake?“Dad, I can’t tell. I really can’t tell!” He broke down.Stephen believed he had been trying and doing well, having grown from his many mistakes. Yet now, he realized that although he had grown, his enemies were still stronger. Being a Quinn did not mean that people would heed his every word.How many lives had been lost because he was deceived?This time, it even led to the death of the mayor, Julius, who cared for Hill City so deeply and wanted to help him manage the city.Stephen held Julius’ body and felt hopeless for the second time. The first time was when he scolded Snow and then heard news of her death.He started to doubt himself. Could h
The Guardian's Return Chapter 338
Simon felt numb after understanding what had happened.He thought Stephen’s silence meant everything was progressing smoothly in Hill City, but now, it was clear that something big had been brewing behind the scenes. Even he found it difficult to handle the situation.In a hospital in Hill City, Stephen and George watched as a white sheet was draped over Julius.His parents wept beside him, so devastated they almost fainted; a woman lay sobbing over Julius’ body, and a four- or five-year-old girl stood to the side, her wide eyes looking around in confusion.Stephen remained silent. George, on the other hand, was bandaged all over, all minor injuries from his struggle with Julius. However, he did not feel the pain at all.His eyes reddened as he turned away from the scene in front of him. If not for him, Julius would not be dead, and his parents and wife would not be grieving.Julius’ child, a girl, who had no idea what was happening, walked over to Stephen and George. She asked
The Guardian's Return Chapter 339
“I know.” Nico smiled wryly. “Because we’re the same. I want to kill Ethan, and you want to kill me. We’re not so different, after all.”Stephen instantly fell silent. He understood that the shock from Nico killing his son with his own hands had left the man devastated. George gritted his teeth, stating, “You brought this upon yourself. None of this would’ve happened if you had just lived normally after being released from prison.”Nico fell silent. If he had let go of his grudge after his release, he would not have lost everything.“So, he had a plan all along.”If he had followed Ethan’s plan, Tommy would have finished college, started a family, and be taken away from Stone Village for a fresh start in Hill City. However, because Nico chose revenge instead, he ended up killing his son with his own hands, sealing his fate.“I regret it,” Nico said weakly as he looked down at the white sheets. “I finally understand what Ethan was trying to do for me. I’d like to apologize to him
Latest chapter
The Guardian's Return Chapter 668
His question rubbed salt in Stephen’s wounds, and it hurt. “I’m not in the mood now, nor have I thought about it,” Stephen replied. “Why? Are you that busy?” Simon pressed. Stephen took a deep breath. “When Lily made her final call to me, I hung up on her because of Rachel.”Simon was stunned to hear that. He realized that the problem might be more severe than he expected. From now on, whenever Rachel wanted to sleep with Stephen, he would think of that missed call. That call he had once hung up impatiently would become the regret that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Simon wanted to say something but hesitated. After a while, he finally asked, “Do you still want to sleep with women?”“No,” Stephen said honestly. “It makes me want to throw up.”Simon’s expression turned ugly. The worst-case scenario still happened in the end. The overwhelming stress and trauma had caused Stephen to lose interest in women, and getting him to have a child with someone would be a
The Guardian's Return Chapter 667
“Ah!” Stephen screamed. “Don’t kill me!”He clutched his head with both hands and immediately crouched down on the ground. “Why aren’t you the one dead?” A familiar voice rang out beside him.Stephen trembled and cautiously raised his head to see that all the coffins had vanished and only one person stood before him. The thick mist made it difficult for him to see the person’s face clearly. The next second, as if a breeze just swept through, the mist swirled, and Stephen finally saw the face of the man before him. Recognizing the man immediately, Stephen’s eyes widened. It was Ethan! “You don’t want to die, and neither did they. Why did you kill them?” Ethan looked down at Stephen.Stephen’s face paled. “I didn’t. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want to kill anyone!”“Is that so?” The South Regent slowly stepped out from the side. “You might be able to explain it if there was only one death, but how many lives has it been now? Do you even remember? You only pick the ones closes
The Guardian's Return Chapter 666
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
