Marcus found Ethan inside the mansion. “Ethan, Andy is missing,” Marcus said, his head hung low.He knew he did not have the confidence or right to ask for Ethan’s help. However, he had no other choice. Swallowing his pride, he pressed on. “Please help us find him.”Ethan said calmly, “Don’t you know where he is?”“Foreign territory is vast. It’s not easy for us to find him,” Marcus replied.“He has always wanted to prove himself. Now that he’s outside the borders, isn’t this exactly what he wanted?”Upon hearing that, Marcus took out his phone. “He’s not doing well at all out there. He has realized his mistakes.” He handed his phone over, showing a video of Andy eating like a beggar. Ethan glanced at it. “Whether he’s having a tough time or not, it was a choice he made.”“He was disrespectful to you before, and I apologize on his behalf. Please have mercy. When he returns, I’ll have him apologize to you formally. Andy is a good kid and a genius. He’s always wanted to bec
Stephen had also come to seek Ethan, hoping he could help with the search. However, just as he arrived, he was already too embarrassed to ask Ethan for help. Still, Andy was missing, and the bullet the South Regent sent loomed ominously in his mind. If anything happened to Andy, he would be blamed. He took a deep breath and said, “I can give you a million dollars.” With no other way to persuade Ethan, he had to resort to money, hoping it would persuade Ethan to help. Marcus quickly said, “The Whites could pay you too!” He fished out his phone and called the Whites, saying that Ethan could help to find Andy, but it would require money. “The Whites are willing to offer three million dollars, and I’ll personally add another million.”It totaled up to five million dollars. Ethan said, “Transfer the money first.” It did not take long for the money to be deposited into his bank. Ethan then picked up his phone and called the South Regent. “Stephen and the Whites will pay yo
Escorted by the team, Andy returned to Riveria that very night. Stephen and Marcus personally came to welcome him. When they saw him covered in mud, looking worse off than a homeless man, their heart ached.They could not imagine what Andy had experienced out there. “It’s good you’re back.” The weight finally lifted from Stephen’s chest. He was worried Andy’s life might be in danger out there. Just recently, the South Regent had given him a bullet as a wedding gift. If anything had happened to Andy outside the borders, he would be blamed. Marcus stepped forward and comforted Andy, “You’re back now. It’s safe here. You don’t need to worry.”Andy looked at them, and the first words he said was, “I want to meet Ethan.”Marcus and Stephen were taken aback. They exchanged glances, failing to understand why Andy suddenly wanted to meet Ethan. Could it be that Ethan was involved in his capture?“Whatever it is, let’s leave it to tomorrow.” Stephen said, “It’s too late now, and you
After Andy fell asleep, Marcus asked the doctor, “What happened?”The doctor’s expression was solemn. “He might’ve experienced something traumatic, but don’t worry. He should recover over time with rest.”Marcus felt slightly relieved and then video-called the White family to explain the situation. Concerned, the family instructed him to bring Andy back to the capital as soon as possible. Marcus agreed and said they would leave first thing in the morning. Not long after he ended the call, Stephen called. “How’s Andy now?”Marcus sighed. “I have no idea what he experienced outside. He seems very much affected. He suddenly broke down crying when he was eating just now.”“It’s that bad?” Stephen gasped. Marcus added, “The doctor said it’s something he’ll have to rest and work through gradually.”Stephen nodded. “I’ve assigned more men to keep an eye on Ethan. If anything did happen to Andy, he wouldn’t be able to escape. When Andy wakes up tomorrow, we’ll know what Ethan did.”W
Marcus rushed over and asked in confusion. “Why did you hang up? They were really worried about you.”Andy said, “I have something more important to do.”Marcus frowned. “What is it?”“I want to see Ethan.”He wanted to apologize and convey the words of those who helped him escape. They sacrificed their lives for him, so he owed it to them to pass on their message to Ethan.Marcus said, “You’re injured. Wouldn’t it be better to go to the hospital first?”“I want to see Ethan!” Andy ordered.He could not rest until he met Ethan. Hence, Marcus had no choice but to drive Andy up the mountain.It did not take long before they arrived at Ethan’s mansion, where Stephen was already present. He had brought reporters with him too.“Ethan, Andy is back. He says it was you who helped people outside the border capture him.”The cameras were already rolling, and viewers began to join the livestream.“I just joined. What is this shocking news?”“Ethan helped the foreigners kidnap Andy? H
He understood what Ethan meant. No matter what he accused Ethan of and how well he planned it out, they were not real. If Brandon, Shawn, or the South Regent revealed the truth, his false accusations would be instantly revealed. When it came to that, Ethan would be fine, and Stephen would face the backlash instead.Stephen’s body trembled, and his expression turned sour. He did not expect his carefully crafted scheme to frame Ethan would be so easily unraveled by the latter. However, the viewers in the livestream did not understand what Ethan meant.Ethan asked calmly, “Now, you answer me. Who sent people to capture Andy? And who caused Julius’ death?”Stephen lowered his head.“Andy’s capture is still under investigation, so we don’t know the details yet. Julius’ death also has nothing to do with Ethan, and Ethan has no connection to the South Regent.”He looked at the camera and clarified that nothing had to do with Ethan.The viewers were stunned. Stephen had just been accus
Andy shook off Stephen’s hand. “Because I was wrong.”Stephen took a few steps back, unable to believe that Andy was willingly kneeling to Ethan and refusing to be helped up. His mind buzzed in confusion. He could not understand what was happening. He thought Andy wanted to see Ethan to expose him and take revenge, but it was actually to apologize. All his efforts in calling the reporters for a live broadcast were in vain.Ethan looked at Andy. “It seems you’ve been through a lot.”“Yes.” Andy lowered his head. “In the past, I thought my fists and physical prowess were real strength.”When he was outside the borders, he had been beaten down time and time again. What he had once considered impressive skills turned out to be nothing more than a joke in the eyes of others.“I insulted you and even wanted to get back at you. Please forgive me. I realized how wrong I was.”Stephen stepped forward, unable to believe what he was hearing. “Why are you apologizing to him? Wasn’t it he w
“Exactly!”How much danger had Andy faced because of that reward? How many people had lost their lives? If he had not claimed to know Ethan, he would not even have survived.Andy glared at Stephen. “Did you know? There was a family that saved me when I was on the brink of starvation, but I didn’t even get a chance to thank them. Because of your reward, someone came to their home with a gun and shot the man of the house. They even tried to kill his wife and daughter!“Later, I was hunted by countless people. All of them were after the reward you posted. Do you know how many people died along the way just to protect me? I wouldn’t have made it out alive if not for Ethan.”Andy stormed forward and grabbed Stephen’s collar. Stephen’s eyes widened, his face turning pale, and Andy punched Stephen again, knocking him back several steps.Stephen was hit a second time, but there was no trace of anger on his face this time. In fact, he had no reason to be angry.He had never anticipated th
They discussed the plan together until the evening. When it was time for dinner, Daniel and Caleb also arrived.“Perfect timing!” The South Regent immediately greeted them.Daniel was surprised. “What a coincidence. You're all here too?”“Yep,” the South Regent said. “We came to wish Lord Rivers a Happy New Year and discuss how to deal with Stephen. You should be here for the same thing, aren’t you?”Daniel and Caleb's families had been doing well before, but Stephen's arrival caused them to lose everything. They ended up being despised by everyone and finally had no choice but to leave Breeze City.They both nodded at the South Regent's words. They already had a grudge against Stephen. Just the fact that he imprisoned Ethan was enough for them to hate him, not to mention how he had thrown Breeze City into chaos.He even allowed the people to consume contaminated food, causing widespread illness with some even suffering permanent complications.In their eyes, Stephen was simply
Boom! The men felt like they were struck by lightning. The fog in their brains instantly disappeared.“We can definitely do that!” Jason exclaimed. “Why didn't I think of that?”The South Regent muttered, “Instead of us providing proof, we force him to provide the evidence. However, he has no substantial evidence, so he has to keep making things up until all his lies are exposed. We go from being passive to being active because he has no idea what we're going to question!”They might not be familiar with Stephen and what he had done before, but they knew that he had been tortured by Ethan for many years.They could ask Stephen anything about the battles they fought and everything that Ethan had done for Riveria. There were plenty of things that Stephen and Simon had no idea about.If they tried to prove Stephen was not the one managing Riveria, Simon could just label their evidence as rumors.Instead, if they could make Simon and Stephen come up with lies full of weaknesses, Simo
Jason frowned. Now, just hearing Stephen's name made him angry. Not only did Stephen fail his sister, but he was even starting to slander Ethan.Sensing the atmosphere, Hugo quickly said, “That was in the past. I'm not his psychologist anymore. I came here today to thank Mr. Rivers.”He looked at Ethan and fell to his knees on the ground.“Mr. Rivers.” Hugo lowered his head, saying sincerely, “Please forgive my past recklessness and ignorance. I really didn't know Stephen was hiding so much. I was wrong for helping him...”Now, he deeply regretted three things. The first was disrespecting Ethan in the past. The second was failing to protect Natalie, and the third was saving Stephen.“Hmph.” Jason snorted coldly. He could also tell that Hugo was a victim of Stephen’s. Everyone around Stephen would end up suffering.Ethan looked at him. “It's not too late to make amends. What do you plan to do next?”Hugo paused for a moment, thought about it, and said, “I'll go to the media and e
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
“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 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
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 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
“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