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Chapter 404
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 405
Stephen wanted to vomit blood out of frustration.“Cat got your tongue?” Rachel said coldly. “It seems you’re not really sincere about apologizing. It’s just lip service.”Stephen did not know what to say anymore. He wanted her to clarify what he did wrong so that he could change, but she refused to tell him. How was he supposed to correct himself if he did not know his mistake?Stephen took a deep breath and said, “We both need to calm down. Let’s have breakfast first.”Rachael shot him a dirty look, stood up, and left. She had no intention of having breakfast with him.Stephen felt frustrated.The marriage he fantasized about was not like this. He did not expect to be holding each other all the time, but it was supposed to be harmonious and happy, at least. However, the reality was that the one he loved was not by his side, and the person he ended up with was disgusted with him.If only Snow was the one he married. Unfortunately, because of his cowardice and foolishness, Snow
The Guardian's Return Chapter 406
Moreover, there was the South Regent's newly opened mining company in Hill City. Stephen had to find a way to manage the aftermath of these events and keep the South Regent's company in check. He thought about it for a long time, but even when George walked out of the house, he still could not come up with a solid idea. George saw him sitting in the garden and asked, "What are you doing here?" "Enjoying the sun." Stephen made up an excuse."It's good to relax a little sometimes. Don't pressure yourself too much," George replied. At this moment, a car stopped at the entrance. When the car door opened, Liam walked out. He took a glance at Stephen before landing his gaze on George. George noticed Liam and said, "I need to go. The next time I return will probably be in a few years."George smiled bitterly as he spoke. He had never imagined he would one day end up in prison.Stephen felt a sense of heaviness in his heart. "Let me send you off." "Sounds good," George responded.
The Guardian's Return Chapter 407
George's prison cell was tiny with only a bed and a toilet, and the door was made out of iron bars, offering zero privacy. His face turned pale the moment he saw the cell. "Will I be living here from now on?" Liam retorted, "What did you expect?" "It can't be, right? No matter what, I was…" George said. "Forget about your past. Why not ask the people of Riveria if they'd let you serve your sentence in a mansion?"George lowered his head. How could the people let him live comfortably? If it were not for him, Julius would not have died, and Nico's plan would not have succeeded. People probably wished they could just kill him. "Take this set of clothing. If you behave yourself here, perhaps you'll be granted an early parole," Liam said, handing him the prison uniform.Bang. The iron door closed. George sat on his bed, filled with regret. Given his former status, he had thought he could have gotten a slightly better cell, but it seemed like this could not even be compared to th
The Guardian's Return Chapter 408
"Lord Rivers, sorry to bother you." The South Regent walked in with a smile, carrying the goods, then instructed the ladies around him, "Don't just stand there. Get to work!" Two ladies beelined toward the kitchen to start cooking, and the others approached Ethan, ready to massage his shoulders and thighs to help him relax. The South Regent sat on the couch across from Ethan and placed the two bottles of fine wine he had brought on the table. "You don't mind having dinner together, right?" he asked with a smile. Ethan said indifferently, "Will you leave if I say I mind?"The South Regent replied awkwardly, "Lord Rivers, you must be kidding." "Just speak what's on your mind." Ethan glanced at him, knowing he must be here for a reason. He would not have brought several women along if he merely wanted to share a meal together."Nothing gets past you, does it?" the South Regent said with a sigh. "There are indeed a few matters I'd like to discuss. "Since I've already establishe
The Guardian's Return Chapter 409
The South Regent said with a smile, "Perfect timing. Lord Rivers, why don't you try these two lovely ladies’ cooking? They're the best cooks we have." Ethan glanced at the two ladies. Although they were quite beautiful, he was unaffected. After tasting the dishes, he found that they tasted decent. "How is it?" the South Regent asked with anticipation. Ethan replied, "Their outfits and cooking skills have room for improvement, but it's not bad overall." The South Regent turned to the two and said, "Hurry up and thank Lord Rivers for his comments." "Thank you," said the two ladies at the same time. The South Regent was in a good mood, so he opened a bottle of wine. He poured Ethan a glass and then poured one for himself as well. Although his main goal was not achieved, it was still not considered a failure. Meanwhile, Stephen had returned to Hill City. He had had enough of enduring Rachel's coldness at home. Moreover, although they had been married for several days, she wou
The Guardian's Return Chapter 410
Everyone quickly got up and left. Stephen started to feel hungry, having hardly eaten anything all day, and he had not had enough rest either. After making a call to request the profiles of the deputy mayor and mayor of other cities, he left to fill his stomach. By the time he was back at his place, the information was delivered. Stephen quickly read through the profiles, and after reviewing each one, he found that only Breeze City's deputy mayor, Nolan Spencer, was a suitable candidate. He had served as deputy mayor there for twenty years, and Breeze City boasted a GDP of three trillion!“His management experience must be extensive. Hill City really needs someone with that kind of experience now.”However, Stephen did not immediately choose Nolan as the mayor. He still needed to assess the situation further. With only himself to rely on, he could not afford to make any more mistakes!Stephen instinctively took out his phone, wanting to call George to invite him to check out Breez
The Guardian's Return Chapter 411
When Nolan learned he was being transferred to another city, his first thought was that it must be Ethan’s plan. After all, Ethan had left quite a psychological impact on him."That can't be right?" Nolan's brother, Tyler, frowned and said, "Ethan's been in prison without any news for a while now. Besides, Stephen Quinn is running Riveria now, not Ethan."Their father, Edward, furrowed his brow too. Though advanced in age, his mind was still sharp. Nolan had been deputy mayor for twenty years, but Edward had always been the strategist when problems arose."You don't understand," Edward said. "Just because he's disappeared doesn't mean he's dead. Perhaps Stephen Quinn's vulnerabilities and what happened in those other cities were all part of Ethan's plans."He knew about Ethan's arrest but could not tell if that was part of Ethan's plan or if the man had truly been captured.Edward's voice grew stern. "Don't forget what happened to your brother and his family."Tyler fell silent.
The Guardian's Return Chapter 412
That was when Tyler understood why Ethan was so bold to come in alone."L-Let's stay civilized," Tyler quickly stuttered.Just then, Edward's stern voice came from nearby. "Apologize to the official immediately!"Ethan glanced sideways to see Edward walking out with his cane.Edward took the main seat and scrutinized Ethan closely. "You look unfamiliar. You're not from Breeze City, are you? May I know your name?""Ethan Rivers."Edward smiled. "That’s a good name, and you've accomplished so much at such a young age—far more than my three sons, at least."Ethan replied flatly, "If you want to flatter me, I can give you a pen and some paper. You can write it all down there."Edward felt humiliated. He had been trying to butter Ethan up to lower the latter’s guard, but it clearly was to no avail."What's your real purpose for coming here? To arrest us? Or something else?""Riveria needs both money and manpower right now," Ethan said.Edward narrowed his eyes. "So are you here f
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 878
The mayor looked out at the blue sky, lost in thought.“Since she chose you, I’ll step aside,” Rhys said as he handed his friend the keepsake his childhood sweetheart had once given him when they swore their love.“Besides, given these chaotic times, love isn’t something I can afford to dwell on. I have to live up to the expectations people have of me. I can’t let them down.” He looked at the girl one last time and took a deep breath before saying, “Goodbye.”His family was destroyed at a young age, so Rhys longed for peace more than anyone. He always wanted to be part of the effort to protect Riveria.The year he graduated from university, the Grand Marshal passed away. All of Riveria was in despair, believing that Riveria was doomed. However, Rhys was determined to join Ethan’s forces.In multiple operations, he displayed excellent skills, strategic thinking, and intelligence, allowing Ethan to take notice of him and guide him. In turn, Rhys learned a lot from Ethan.“Study the
The Guardian's Return Chapter 877
The mayor nodded and explained the origin of the festival and its name.“Riveria used to be a chaos-filled land, but many unsung heroes stepped up to make it better. The peace we enjoy today is all thanks to their selfless dedication.“The name Rhys Festival comes from a man named Rhys Estrela. He was once a subordinate of Mr. Rivers, who made great sacrifices for Riveria. There’s a local saying that goes, ‘A single spark can start a prairie fire.’ We always believe that as long as we don’t give up, Riveria will surely thrive.”Those words sent a chill down Stephen’s spine. The mayor mentioned Mr. Rivers, and while others might not know who that was, Stephen knew—it was Ethan! It meant that the festival was related to Ethan. To top it off, the festival was named after Ethan’s subordinate, Rhys Estrela, a name Stephen was unfamiliar with. He had been in Riveria for half a year but had never heard of that name before. He had no idea what Rhys did to leave his name behind like that.
The Guardian's Return Chapter 876
Hearing Stephen’s positive response, the people in Riveria calmed down slightly.“I hope they can recover the money soon.”“I took out a loan on my house to invest. If we don’t get it back, my family is done for.”“Let’s believe in Stephen. No matter what, he was the Grand Marshal’s mentee.”“He did a good job running Riveria before. I’m sure he can do it again.”“Yeah. This is just a minor issue compared to before.”Most people expressed their trust in Stephen. They could tell that he was far more worn out than before. His hair, which had shown signs of turning black again, had faded back to white again. Some people even felt sorry for him.However, there were others who doubted his abilities. The scammers had fled abroad. Would Stephen be able to catch them, and even if they were caught, could the money be recovered? What if the scammers had laundered the money by auctioning off artwork?They voiced their concerns online. Some people agreed, understanding why they were worrie
The Guardian's Return Chapter 875
Stephen looked at the contract. Other than the high price, there were no other problems.However, the high price was a humiliation for both Stephen and the whole of Riveria.He wanted to refuse and even curse them, but he had no leverage against the other party and was completely passive in this situation. If he did not agree, the crops and livestock in Riveria would be finished.Stephen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Even though he knew that many people would hate him, he still signed the contract.“Pleasure doing business with you.” The foreigners took the contract and chuckled. With that, they left.The meeting room was silent, Stephen being the only one left. He slumped into his chair, uncertain if he had made the right decision.Half an hour later, his phone rang, snapping him back to reality. He had more work to do.Many people in Riveria had been scammed into buying virtual currency, losing over ten billion. Stephen had to give the people an answer.“How did the
The Guardian's Return Chapter 874
Stephen had no choice but to use a translation device, continuing the discussion while they mocked him.Despite his utmost sincerity and effort, they refused to lower their price at all, confident that they had Stephen cornered.His only option was to take money from the Quinns and pour it into developing the medicine. However, he knew the Quinns well. There was no way they would take out billions at once for something like this, especially when there were other diseases to deal with as well.They were no match for Ethan, but the Quinns were nothing to them, let alone Stephen.“We’ll get to the point.”They spoke in Stephen’s language to make sure that he understood. “You’re not good enough. Only Mr. Rivers can manage Riveria. You can’t even protect the people around you. How do you plan to protect Riveria?”Stephen’s expression soured. He knew that they were telling the truth. He had no way to refute, and being stubborn would only make him look more ridiculous.“I’m not as good
The Guardian's Return Chapter 873
Stephen felt that he could come up with a solution that could save both Riveria and protect the Quinns.However, did such a solution really exist? He was not confident.“I’ll go back to my room first.” Stephen walked away.Back in his room, he sat at his desk, deep in thought.“A perfect solution...”Stephen could not think of one. The more he tried, the more his mind uncontrollably drifted back to the past.“No.” He shook his head. “I need to focus.”However, his mind and body had deteriorated from the multiple tragedies. His hair had turned grey, and he struggled to maintain focus.Stephen sighed and planned to think of a solution later. Now, he needed to address Riveria’s current problems.Crops and livestock were falling ill. He sent people to investigate the cause, but research required massive funding. Replacing the crops and animals with new ones would not be easy either.At that moment, foreign corporations suddenly announced that they had the right medicine to cure t
The Guardian's Return Chapter 872
In the past, George also thought that Riveria would not collapse even without Ethan. With himself and the Quinn family, Stephen could still bring Riveria to new heights.Now, he understood.What the former governor, Liam, and the others said was true: Riveria would fall without Ethan.Neither the Lowes, the Quinns, nor even all the families in Metropolis combined, could manage Riveria.Without Ethan, Riveria was doomed.Stephen lowered his head. If it were in the past, he would have laughed if he had heard such words, thinking it was a joke.How was he inferior to Ethan? Whatever Ethan could do, he could do too, and better at that!Now, he could not laugh.He realized the truth too.The first city’s downfall was a coincidence, the second was due to negligence, and the third was an accident, but what about the fourth? The fifth?He could come up with a thousand excuses, but it would not change the truth.The reality was that he was far inferior to Ethan. Only Ethan could save
The Guardian's Return Chapter 871
A large number of people from Riveria poured into their cities. It was already difficult to find a job, but now that a bunch of outsiders were coming to compete for positions, employment was even harder.Furthermore, after arriving in a foreign place, many of those outsiders strayed and turned to robbery and theft. Some even slept on the streets, occupying public facilities and disrupting everyone’s daily lives.People from the surrounding cities of Riveria found it unbearable. They began cursing Riverians on the internet.Meanwhile, in Riveria, people had endured enough grievances in their daily lives. Their living conditions were far from satisfactory, and they held in a lot of frustration.Now, people were scolding them online, calling them beggars and telling them to go back to Riveria and wait for their death.How could they tolerate that?They immediately retaliated online. The arguments escalated, growing more intense by the day.Eventually, people from Riveria even trave
The Guardian's Return Chapter 870
Many crops had fallen sick in Riveria. The corrupted grains in Breeze City and destroyed fertile land had already dealt a huge blow to Riveria. Now, with more crops falling ill on a large scale, grain production had decreased, and fruit yields had dropped drastically. There was a problem with the livestock as well. An unknown disease spread and the affected livestock would basically end up dead, with no way to treat them and unfit for consumption. To everyone in Riveria, it was a huge blow. Prices of all food items began to rise, especially fresh vegetables and fruits. Their prices were comparable to meat. Even a single raw egg was 5 dollars, and boiled eggs for breakfast cost 7 dollars each. After hearing about it, Stephen tried to control the price, but it would cost money. Several cities in Riveria had been ruined under his management. He did not have any money left. He would not have needed to outsource infrastructure projects to other companies and corporates if he had mon
