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Chapter 345
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 346
Would they have ended up like this if they had not ridiculed and insulted Ethan and called for him to return instead?A single decision led to boundless regret!Seeing that he could no longer hide what happened to Julius, George went to the hospital to see Stephen.Alas, Stephen did not show any improvement. He had visibly lost weight.George said, “We need to hold a memorial service for Julius and Tommy.”Their bodies had already been cremated and buried. The memorial should have been held long ago, but with what happened to Stephen and the chaos spreading throughout Hill City, there was simply no time.Stephen did not react as if he did not hear George at all.George said helplessly, “You need to pull yourself together. They wouldn’t want to see you like this. Hill City and Riveria are still waiting for your return.”Stephen still did not move.George told the doctors and nurses to take care of Stephen.Recently, the cause of Nico’s death had been confirmed. He committed su
The Guardian's Return Chapter 347
Now that the orchards were destroyed and the animals were gone, there was no way to earn money from fruit or livestock for the next six months or longer. It would greatly affect Hill City’s GDP!Previously, a large sum of money was spent replacing trees with new tea trees, but they were all gone now. Even the newly repaired highway was severely damaged.So much money had gone to waste. They would need even more funds to fix the highway.A week later, the city somewhat stabilized, and the final losses were calculated. By then though, Hill City’s economic losses reached 900 billion dollars. Its original GDP of 2.8 trillion dropped to 1.9 trillion. It was a massive blow.George looked at the figures and felt as if the sky was falling. With such losses and the sacrifices that Julius and Tommy made, he did not know how to write the report.However, even if he did not report it, headquarters already knew of the situation in Hill City. The online public outcry was overwhelming. They knew
The Guardian's Return Chapter 348
The meeting soon ended.Simon hesitated for a while before calling George. “We came to an agreement...”George was already mentally prepared. “Tell me.”“You’ll have to go to jail, but you’ll be released in three years.”Go to jail for three years?George smiled wryly. He did not expect a governor like him to end up behind bars.He regretted it. If he had not chased Ethan away back then, he could have continued as the governor, living a carefree life.“What about the Lowes?” That was what George was most concerned about. He could handle jail, but what about Rachel?Simon said, “I’ll protect the Lowes. I’ll get Stephen to marry Rachel right away.”Upon hearing this, George felt slightly relieved. If Rachel married Stephen, she would be part of the Quinns. He would no longer have to worry about her.“But Stephen isn’t in a good state right now.”Simon said, “I’ll go see him again. He can’t go on like this!”He hung up and flew back to find Stephen again.When he saw Stephen
The Guardian's Return Chapter 349
Stephen also used to think that he was a paragon among men, but now, he did not dare to perceive himself as such. After all, he knew about Ethan. They were similar in age, but Ethan’s accomplishments far exceeded his own.Stephen only had the position he had now thanks to the Quinns.What about Ethan?He was an orphan that the Grand Marshal adopted for only three years, but he was on his own from then on. However, he stabilized Riveria, drove out foreign forces, and turned Riveria into the top province in the country.George could tell that Stephen still did not have enough confidence.“You should understand now,” George said. “Neither you nor I have a way out. We must manage Riveria well.”Stephen knew that too.This time, George was going to jail to shield him. What about next time?Stephen would be alone in the future.George said, “Prepare yourself. We’ll fly back to the capital in the evening.” Then, he left.Stephen fell silent. He did not want to marry, not yet, at lea
The Guardian's Return Chapter 350
Ethan was more dashing and considerate than Stephen.Furthermore, Ethan was not indecisive like Stephen. He was a great cook and always spoke to her gently.Ethan also managed Riveria well, unlike Stephen who stirred up trouble in every city he touched. This time, even her father was going to jail because of him!Stephen caused her father’s imprisonment, but he wanted to marry her now? If not for Simon and George’s persuasion, she would have already blown up at Stephen. She wished that the one marrying her was Ethan instead.However, she no longer had any other choice. With George going to jail, the Lowes needed the Quinns.Her smile in the living room earlier was just for show. It was simply to make a good impression on Simon.The wedding invites were soon prepared.Rachel took one and had it secretly sent to Drakthorn Ridge. She hoped that on the day of the wedding, Ethan would show up in a suit with a bouquet of roses to crash the wedding when she was taking her vows and decl
The Guardian's Return Chapter 351
One of his friends immediately handed him a cigarette and lit it for him.Stephen said, “I need a favor.”The others were shocked. Stephen, the one who used to think that his family was omnipotent, was asking them for help?Their expressions grew serious. What could it be that Stephen needed help with?“Tell us what you need, Stephen.”“Help me find someone.”“Find someone?” They were bewildered.The Quinns were one of the most powerful families in Metropolis. What kind of person would they have trouble finding?However, Stephen needed their help finding someone.“Stephen, you’re not trying to find an alien, are you?”His other friends chuckled, but Stephen took out his phone and showed them a picture of Snow.“Help me find her. Her name is Snow Green. She was sent away to a remote village.”As soon as they saw the picture, they instantly recognized her as a criminal!“Didn’t she die?”Snow’s death had been sensational news back then, so they all knew about it.Stephen s
The Guardian's Return Chapter 352
“Let’s not talk about this anymore. It’s not often that you guys come here. Why discuss these things?”Everyone was curious, but when they saw that Stephen did not want to talk about it, they did not press further.In the evening, he took his friends to their hotel before heading back to the Lowes’ residence.The preparations for Rachel and his wedding had already begun. Decorations had been hung up.Rachel was in the living room, laughing with her friends. When she saw Stephen come back, she only glanced at him and pretended not to see him, continuing to chat.Stephen hesitated but ultimately said nothing. He walked past her as if he had not seen her.Rachel’s friends were confused. Why did they not even greet each other? They acted like they were strangers.However, the girls did not dare to ask. After all, it was Rachel and Stephen’s private business.Two days later, the evening before the wedding, Simon came to Stephen’s room to give him some instructions.“Once you get ma
The Guardian's Return Chapter 353
Rachel looked at Ethan in disbelief. “How could you be so heartless?”Ethan replied, “I’ve never had any feelings for you. How is that being heartless?”“I’m getting married. You’ll lose me forever.” Rachel refused to give up. Ethan was much more obedient than Stephen, so she did not want to let him go so easily.Ethan slowly sat down on the chair and said calmly, “Neither have I ever had you nor do I care about you. Why would I lose you?”Seeing that force was not working, Rachel lowered her head and tried to use a softer tactic. “Yes, I made a mistake. I know I let you down, and I know that you were wronged, but I know what I’ve done wrong now. Come back to me.”She raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears. “Let’s work together. I can help you take Riveria back. Then, both Riveria and I will be yours.”She thought, ‘If I’m not enough to move Ethan, then surely, Riveria will do the trick. He wants to take Riveria back and get revenge on the Quinns, right?’Ethan smiled. “R
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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
