LOGINShare
Chapter 426
Related chapters
The Guardian's Return Chapter 427
They shut down the South Regent’s business, and now the South Regent was willing to sacrifice a subordinate to drag the Spencers’ business down with them. The hitman was taken away, and he provided more incriminating information about the Spencers’ business. He even mentioned that Ethan had punished the Spencers in the past. Nolan realized things were getting out of hand, so he quickly called his father, Edward. Edward merely said, “Kill him.”What happened three years ago was a dark part of their history that must never be exposed, and Stephen could never know about it. As such, Nolan managed to get his hands on some poison and used it to kill the hitman. Stephen had wanted to interrogate the hitman further, but he soon heard about the hitman’s death. “How did he die? Poison? How could he be poisoned here?”The hitman revealed a lot of startling information, but Stephen had not verified it yet. Now, the sudden poisoning left him confused and in doubt. Was the information
The Guardian's Return Chapter 428
Evidence? The hitman truly had none now. Everyone involved was clean and efficient in their moves, leaving no traces behind.“But me being here can be considered evidence,” The hitman said, “This time, I’m turning myself in.”Stephen was taken aback. The hitman, who had fooled him several times, was turning himself in now to expose the Spencers? Could everything he said be true?Stephen then took out his phone and dialed the police to arrest the hitman. However, the hitman had no plans to escape. His last order was to surrender and take the Spencers down with him. He remained seated on the couch. “Mr. Quinn, don’t be fooled again.”His words made Stephen pause. For a split second, Julius’ face flashed across his mind. “Actually, I do sympathize and pity you.” The hitman said, “I’ve had many chances to kill you, but we never did. You should know we’re not your true enemy.”“Nonsense!” Stephen snapped, not believing a word. “We’re enemies by circumstance, nothing more!”“It’s u
The Guardian's Return Chapter 429
Stephen clenched his fists. “I haven’t said anything yet, so how do you know?”“Go ahead and ask.”“Three years ago, did the Spencers try to control Breeze City and even conspire with foreign forces?”At that question, cold sweat trickled down Nolan’s forehead. Could Stephen have found out about what the Spencers did three years ago?‘No!’ Nolan’s mind raced. ‘He doesn’t know the full story yet. He’s unsure, so he’s asking Ethan.’He looked at Ethan nervously. Now, the Spencers’ future was in Ethan’s hands again!Ethan glanced at them, his expression calm. “I don’t know.”Stephen gritted his teeth. He could tell from Ethan’s reaction that the man definitely knew something. “You know!”Ethan smiled. “Well, I’m not going to say.”Stephen could barely suppress the urge to hit Ethan, but he restrained himself. “Ethan, you’re aiding and abetting a criminal if you withhold information. But if you speak up, you might gain merit for it.”Ethan looked down at him. “I’m already here.
The Guardian's Return Chapter 430
Even if Stephen tried his best to persuade him today, Ethan would never help him. Besides, Stephen did not have a silver tongue. Stephen raised his head and looked at Ethan. “You sure are heartless.”“There was never any bond between us, so don’t talk about being heartless. Don’t think too highly of yourself.”Stephen was fuming. He had given Ethan an opportunity to back down, but Ethan refused to help, showing him no respect at all.Nolan watched the exchange from the side. The hatred he once held for Ethan had now turned into gratitude. If Stephen was not there and Ethan was not on the second floor, he might have rushed up to hug Ethan then and there.An enemy? No, Ethan was their savior! Three years ago, the Spencers had fallen because of Ethan. Yet now, thanks to him, they had the chance to rise again and surpass their former glory!At the same time, Nolan felt a little sorry for Stephen. Although he did not know what Stephen had done to offend Ethan, choosing to provoke E
The Guardian's Return Chapter 431
After descending the mountain, Stephen wanted to go home for a visit. However, at the thought of Rachel’s attitude toward him, he sighed, deciding otherwise. The problem in Hill City was still unresolved, and Rachel was still cold toward him. What was the point of going home?“Let’s return to Hill City.” With that, he left with Nolan. In the plane, Stephen looked at Nolan, who was resting with his eyes closed. There was a nagging feeling of distrust in his mind. Although Ethan did not answer his question, the hitman’s words when he turned himself echoed in his mind. Before he could uncover the truth, Stephen could not fully trust Nolan, and that doubt was precisely what the South Regent wanted. With doubt came opportunities, just as how Julius’ death was caused by Stephen and George’s suspicions of Julius. Night had fallen by the time Stephen returned to his residence in Hill City. After a full day of travel, he felt tired but found himself wide awake as he lay in bed. Clo
The Guardian's Return Chapter 432
He lay back on the bed but still could not fall asleep. Stephen’s eyes were wide open as memories of his classmates flooded his mind. After all these years, it seemed like none of them were doing particularly well. “Sigh.” Stephen sighed, got out of bed, and took a melatonin pill. He returned to bed and thought of something while waiting for the pill to take effect. “I don’t have enough people around me.”Julius was dead, George was jailed, Rachel hated him, and he still did not know whether Nolan was his ally or enemy. “I need a helper.” Stephen understood. “I need to have someone I can trust!”If he had someone loyal who truly had his back, many problems would not feel so overwhelming. His burden would be lighter too!“Who would be suitable for this role?” Stephen’s first thought was to reach out to his friends back in the capital. However, due to Riveria’s recent situation and the incident with Andy, there was no way those prestigious families would spare anyone to help h
The Guardian's Return Chapter 433
In the evening, Stephen met Jeremy. Jeremy was thinner than he had been during their school days. His clothes were worn, and the most striking thing was how exhausted he appeared. Despite only being in his twenties, his hair had turned grey. Anyone who did not know better might have mistaken him for a man in his fifties.“Stephen, I’m here.” Jeremy walked to him and immediately knelt in front of Stephen. “Thank you for your help.”Stephen motioned for him to stand up. “Stephen, whatever you need, just say the word. I’ll do it, even if it costs me my life.” Jeremy looked deadly serious, his resolve unwavering. Stephen was pleased with his reaction. It was exactly what he had hoped for. “I need you to secretly investigate two companies for me.”They were the South Regent and the Spencers’ companies. Jeremy understood immediately. Stephen tried giving him more money, just in case anything went wrong later. However, Jeremy rejected it, stating there were still leftovers from t
The Guardian's Return Chapter 434
Jeremy did not say a word. He had made up his mind that he would not betray Stephen, even at the cost of his life. Stephen extended a helping hand when he needed it the most. Although his mother could not be saved in the end, it at least allowed her to pass away with dignity. He looked at the South Regent with an unwavering gaze, not a trace of fear in his eyes. The South Regent had seen that look before. A long time ago, he had the same look in his eyes, but the person he looked at back then was Ethan. Then, Ethan defeated him time and time again, shattering his pride and resolve. The South Regent chuckled. “You remind me of myself in the past. But even if you refuse to say who’s behind you, I can guess it. It’s Stephen, isn’t it?”Jeremy was shocked. He did not expect the South Regent to get it on the first guess. Seeing his reaction, the South Regent confirmed his suspicion and knew what Stephen’s plan was. Stephen must have hired the man to infiltrate his company, search
Latest chapter
The Guardian's Return Chapter 690
Before Stephen’s death, he could never truly leave Riveria. Under his management, countless problems had arisen in Riveria—one of the biggest being that they still had not figured out it was the Hugheses working against them behind the scenes.Simon was new to Riveria, and no doubt, he was going to get played hard, but Stephen now knew Riveria relatively well. When Simon hit failure after failure, it would only be a matter of time before Stephen was called back to fix the mess. “You caused this chaos in Riveria. Before peace has returned to Riveria, you won’t truly be able to leave it behind.”Stephen fell silent. He had also thought about that before. Since he caused the start of everything, he should be the one to end it. However, it was too hard!Not only did he have to watch out for others framing him, but he also had to deal with poor advice from his own people, and after something went wrong, he had to take the fall himself. “I’ve realized my mistakes.” Stephen hung his he
The Guardian's Return Chapter 689
However, at that point, there was nothing Stephen could do, even though he was the heir of the Quinn family. He had to return to the Metropolis to lay low. “Get ready. You’ll leave tomorrow.” Simon wanted to send him away as soon as possible not because he was truly concerned about Stephen, but because Stephen had just taken the blame for him. With Stephen under attack from various parties and having to face punishment from the federal government, Simon worried that he might crack under pressure and reveal the truth. That was why he wanted to send Stephen home immediately and have him under strict supervision to prevent him from speaking out. “I know.”The moment Stephen stood up, a phrase randomly flashed through his mind. ‘All is predestined; man has no control.’No matter his status or wealth, he was still powerless against some things. Due to that, the greater the fall, the harder it was for him to accept it.Quietly, Stephen returned to his room to pack up. Meanwhile,
The Guardian's Return Chapter 688
His laughter was filled with helplessness and despair. He sounded like he was on the brink of an emotional breakdown. He had been trying so hard to make up for the mistakes of his past, doing his best to improve everyone’s lives, but now, it was all ruined because of Simon's stubbornness. Yet, Simon wanted him to shoulder the blame. “You should understand that there’s nothing you can do. You can’t change your fate, nor the fate of others around you. You thought you had everything, that you were invincible, but in fact, you have nothing, and you’re powerless to do anything.”Stephen heard a familiar voice. He looked behind Simon and saw Ethan sitting on a nearby sofa, drinking tea. “What’s wrong?” Simon frowned. Stephen’s laughter made him feel a little uneasy. Hearing Simon’s voice, Stephen snapped back to reality and looked at the sofa again, but there was no one. Ethan, and his voice, had been a hallucination. Stephen slightly lowered his head and clenched his fists tigh
The Guardian's Return Chapter 687
Most people were just happy to get a bit of compensation, grateful even, but while Stephen was living a life beyond their dreams, he still had the nerve to take their money. After taking it, he had the audacity to insist it was not theft, claiming the money was his.He never considered that he was the one who ruined everyone’s lives and that he owed them the money. When the outrage became overwhelming, he came up with a new excuse, which was even more absurd than the last. This time, he claimed it was all a setup, that someone was framing him. Many people were so mad that they laughed instead. How could anyone say something like that with a straight face?It was so obvious he was lying, with no remorse or sincerity. He did not even bother finding a scapegoat to take the blame.Outside, the crowd was in an uproar. The security guards were all tackled to the ground, and even the cars were flipped over. The people smashed the doors crazily, and some had run off to break the windows
The Guardian's Return Chapter 686
Even at that point, Stephen refused to take responsibility for his actions. Instead, he tried to shift the blame to others, yet he could not even name a scapegoat. It was pathetic. The people’s anger had reached the boiling point. “Does he take us all for fools?”“No wonder he has the guts to take our money. We’re nothing to him!”“How does someone like him worthy of managing Riveria?”“Stephen, go to hell! Bring back the previous leader of Riveria!”Everyone crowded at the door was cursing angrily, and even the security could not hold them back. The online backlash against Stephen was also growing more vicious by the minute. Seeing the crowd’s reaction left Simon and Stephen confused, especially Stephen. He thought he had told the truth, so why was everyone still so furious? Was he brushing them off? No, he did not. He had told them everything he knew, but why did no one believe him? Looking at the people outside, angry and about to break in, Stephen felt a little lost a
The Guardian's Return Chapter 685
Stephen glanced at the crowd outside, feeling nervous. He could sense their hostility. If he could not provide a satisfactory explanation, he would have to watch his back whenever he was in public."Do you have any solutions?" Simon asked.Stephen thought for a moment. "At this point, we can only tell the truth. This has nothing to do with me. Let's say someone else did this to frame us."Simon considered it. Although that was not what he initially wanted, the situation was urgent. They had no choice but to go with Stephen's plan.He nodded. "Do it your way."Stephen breathed a sigh of relief.During the earlier broadcast, he felt uneasy, knowing things would go wrong. At least now he had control of the situation.Besides, it was not too late. If he explained everything honestly to the public, they would surely understand. They might even find out who tried to frame him!Stephen immediately called the reporters for a second apology.Soon, the livestream began. The number of au
The Guardian's Return Chapter 684
Simon thought the issue would blow over quickly after the explanation.However, after the broadcast, the viewers’ anger grew. People from other cities who did not know much about Stephen's actions were now outraged too. What kind of explanation was that?"What do you mean it's not considered stealing because it was your money? Why did the people need to be compensated in the first place? Wasn't it because of you?""Let me ask you this. You caused everyone such huge losses, so isn't compensation the bare minimum? What right do you have to take it back?""I’ve never seen someone so shameless. It’s unbelievable."“He’s lost all sense!"If people from other cities were outraged, the locals of Breeze City were even more so.No one could believe that was Stephen's entire broadcast. Nothing they wanted to hear was included. There was no return of compensation, and the apology was not sincere.It was not a real apology; it was just going through the motions. His tone was beyond dismissi
The Guardian's Return Chapter 683
As a result of the interloper’s actions, people were now blaming him for stealing the money!Stephen took a deep breath. "I understand. Let me get ready."He had just woken up and had no idea what was happening, but based on past experience and the fact that the federal government was involved, he could tell the severity of the situation.Stephen checked his phone and saw the whole internet cursing him, with some people even taking their own lives. Seeing the suicide reports, his expression turned grim. Although he had known from the start that taking back the compensation money was wrong, the situation was even worse than he had imagined.Immediately, Stephen prepared an apology and called the reporters in for a live broadcast.After so many failures, he knew better. He knew some decisions were wrong, like the current situation with the compensation money. However, the order had come from Simon—his father, and Stephen could not oppose him.Now that things had gone wrong, he had
The Guardian's Return Chapter 682
"I’m aware of it, but using the word 'steal' is a bit extreme, isn’t it?" Simon said. After all, it was their money, to begin with. All they were doing was taking it back. How was that considered stealing?"What?" The government staff was shocked. "Extreme? This situation is way more serious than you think! People are constantly reporting Stephen. Some even suspect he's a foreign agent deliberately causing destruction. Get to the bottom of this immediately!"The call ended abruptly, leaving Simon wide-eyed."Is the situation that serious? Are they really questioning whether Stephen is on our side?"Simon immediately opened up the browser on his phone. Before he could even do a search, the numerous ads that appeared gave him his answer."Absolutely inhumane! Stephen Quinn steals the people's money!""Stephen Quinn has committed murder! So far, three families have committed suicide from the stress, and nine people are in critical condition!""No crime goes unpunished! Stephen Qu
