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Chapter 391
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 392
Stephen stood in a daze in the silent, empty room and sighed helplessly.In his prime, he imagined his future to be full of happiness and excitement, but now, the reality of his life felt cold and hollow.After packing, he slowly walked out the door, hoping that Rachel would come out and say, “Take care and have a safe trip.”However, even as he stepped out onto the street, that voice never came. It felt like his heart was being torn apart. His driver was already waiting, so he walked toward the car. Just then… “Take care, darling. Have a safe trip!”A voice rang out behind him.Stephen froze and turned around with excitement, only to see a woman embracing a man.“I’ll be back soon,” the man said before kissing the woman.Stephen stood there, his heart sinking. It was just an illusion, nothing more. Now, it felt like not one, but a thousand knives were stabbing at his heart, relentlessly cutting away at him.He hurried into the car and told the driver to head to the airport
The Guardian's Return Chapter 393
It was a high school reunion.Stephen felt a little dazed. After graduating from high school, he went to a prestigious university. Once he graduated, he went abroad for further studies and had only returned a year ago.“It’s been eight years since I’ve graduated high school, right?”He had also received invitations in the previous years, but he could not attend since he was abroad. Thinking about it now, it had been eight years since he had seen his high school classmates. Even after eight years, there were still some faces that he vividly remembered.Stephen thought of all the frustrating events he had been through lately and decided to attend the reunion. Perhaps chatting with his classmates would ease some of his pressure.At that thought, he replied to the message and said that he would go. The person who texted him instantly called him.“Stephen, are you really coming?” he asked excitedly.“Yes, I’ll be there, Blake.”Even just from his voice, Stephen recognized it as hi
The Guardian's Return Chapter 394
The issues in Hill City had not yet been resolved. A new mayor had not been appointed, the damages from the forest fires were still uncompensated, and there was still Stone Village to deal with.Andy’s recent disappearance in Hill City also caused such a stir, and it struck Stephen that he did not attend the memorial service for Julius and Tommy.“I’m still thinking about it,” he answered honestly. He had not figured out how to clean up the mess in Hill City.Simon glared at him. “You’d better hurry up. George took the blame for you this time. You need to resolve the follow-up issues in Hill City as soon as possible.”Stephen lowered his head. “I know.”“Also, while work is important, you can’t neglect family matters either. You’re not getting any younger. When are you planning to have a child?”Stephen instantly fell silent.A child with Rachel? The thought had not even crossed his mind. Besides, Rachel would not let him touch her. How would they have a child if they did no
The Guardian's Return Chapter 395
Under the villager’s guidance, Andy soon arrived at the place.The villager pointed to a spot in the ground. “It’s here.”Andy dropped to his knees. Those people had saved him, and this was how they ended up.He felt deeply remorseful. If he had not defied Ethan and been more respectful, things might not have ended up like that.It was all his fault!The South Regent chuckled from the side. “Being your friend is so dangerous. Not only did they die terribly, but they didn’t even get a proper burial.”Andy felt a wave of nausea, as if he might vomit.In an attempt to atone, he paid a considerable amount of money to have the area transformed into a proper grave. After that, he set off with his men, determined to continue his search.Now, he wanted to find the family of three. He was worried about the man’s state.It did not take long for him to arrive at their home, but it was empty. After asking around, he learned that the woman had taken her daughter and left.“Why did they le
The Guardian's Return Chapter 396
Stephen was stunned for a moment. That was Blake?In his memory, Blake was tall, thin, and rather handsome. Now, he looked completely different.“I couldn’t recognize you at first,” Stephen said.“I get it.” Blake said, “I must’ve changed a lot.”Blake sat down with Stephen and laughed. “You’re amazing, Stephen. You’re managing all of Riveria. Riveria is the number one province in the country. You might even make it to the cabinet.”Stephen’s smile turned wry. Most people did not know about Riveria’s economic state, but he did.The number one province in the country? Riveria’s GDP had dropped several digits from its original 15 trillion. If he did not act fast, it might even drop to 10 digits.“Let’s change topics.” Stephen felt that he could not talk about such matters. He asked Blake, “How have you been? You seem to have gained some weight, so things must be going well.”However, Blake smiled wryly. “Not really. My parents’ health aren’t great, so I took over the family busin
The Guardian's Return Chapter 397
“Leo, are you peddling your products again?” Blake came back. “What are you selling this time?”Leo smiled. “It’s a health supplement. Do you want a set, class prez? I’ll give you a 10% discount. If your whole family buys one set each, I’ll bump that up to 20%.”Stephen wanted to say something but ultimately kept silent. This felt so foreign. He felt like he was meeting Leo for the first time.“Shush! My health is fine.” Blake laughed. “Stephen is still young too. Why would he need health supplements? Besides, how could you push products at a class reunion?”Leo said helplessly, “I have no choice. I’ve got a girlfriend, and we’re talking about marriage, but she wants an apartment near the city. Won’t you buy a set, class prez?”Stephen’s eyes widened. Leo, the best student in their grade, had become desperate because of money.Blake ignored him and looked at Stephen instead. “What’s on your mind, Stephen?”Stephen snapped back to his senses. “Nothing, nothing. I was just listeni
The Guardian's Return Chapter 398
Stephen heard the whispered words and looked up curiously.At first glance, the woman looked familiar.He asked, “Who’s that?”Leo lowered his voice. “Penny Harper.”Stephen paused slightly at the name. He remembered Penny. She was the class vice president. Besides being pretty and kind, she also had a good figure and a gentle demeanor.Although she was not as stunning as Chloe, she had a lovely personality and was warm and gentle, so many people liked her. Some of them included boys from other classes and even other schools. However, during their three years of high school together, no one had ever heard of her dating anyone.Stephen was shocked. The Penny in front of him now had streaks of gray in her hair, some wrinkles on her face, and wore clothes that could not be described as plain. They were old and worn. She did not look like she was the same age as him at all.“How did she end up like this?”Leo sighed. “Right after she graduated from college, her parents pressured he
The Guardian's Return Chapter 399
Leo walked over and applauded. “You’re amazing, Stephen! Good people live long lives!”The others stood up and clapped as well.Blake also walked over and said, “Stephen, aren’t you a government official? Why not take this opportunity to find out why Penny’s support was cut off? Were the funds pocketed by someone else?”Stephen nodded. “I’ll get to the bottom of this!”He looked at Penny and asked, “Do you remember the organization that was providing you support?”Penny nodded. “Yes. I still have their contact number.”Stephen immediately said, “Give it to me. I’ll call them.”When he dialed the number, he found that it was no longer in service.“Hm?” Stephen immediately sensed that there might be something bigger going on. He looked at the people gathered around. Familiar people were watching him now. If he could solve this in front of them, it would be a significant achievement.Stephen immediately contacted the service provider and found out who deactivated the account. The
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 820
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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 819
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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 818
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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 817
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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 816
“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 Guardian's Return Chapter 815
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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 814
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 Guardian's Return Chapter 813
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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 812
“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
