LOGINShare
Chapter 53
Related chapters
The Guardian's Return Chapter 54
Rachel frowned. She could not understand why Ethan looked fine while in prison. In fact, he seemed healthier than ever, as if he was on vacation rather than serving time.“Did you hear about the chaos in North Hill City?” the reporter asked while the camera focused closely on Ethan’s face, hoping to capture a look of panic or guilt.“Yes, I’ve heard about it,” he replied He had seen it coming from a mile away. With him out of the picture, the town of Lytton would surely make a move. In addition to Stephen’s ‘genius’ move of promoting Eric, it was no surprise that the city descended into chaos. The reporter’s face twisted with disgust. “You really are despicable. First, you get caught for bribery and corruption, and now you want to take an entire city down with you? “Do you have any idea how many families have been destroyed because of you? You should be executed ten times over, and it still won’t be enough!” Stephen sat behind the reporter and looked at Ethan scornfully with
The Guardian's Return Chapter 55
Now that Stephen had put the wrong people in power, it would only make the people suffer more, and the future of Riveria was at risk. Soon enough, the local housing market and the economy would collapse. Liam asked, “Why?” “You already have the answer to your question,” Ethan said as he walked out of the room. Liam’s face drained of color. “No… Even he thinks Riveria is over… That means Riveria is really done for! It’s going down!” Even though people used to whisper about the region’s downfall, there had always been a sliver of hope. After all, Ethan was still around. Yet now, even Ethan was saying there was no saving Riveria. It was like the god who created the world suddenly declaring it had no future.Meanwhile, the reporters parted ways with Stephen and returned to their office to edit the footage and start writing their articles. The interview with Shawn, Eric, and Brandon was also wrapping up in North Hill City. The three were eloquent, presenting themselves as the r
The Guardian's Return Chapter 56
The video went viral. It was all over social media, everyone’s feeds, and even chat groups. Whenever the police officers saw Ethan, they felt a mix of feelings. They could not understand why Liam would treat Ethan, a man who’d committed so many heinous acts, so well. Would it not be easier to just put a bullet in him and be done with it? Liam was also questioned by his parents and wife at home. “Why are you helping that monster?” “Do you know how many people are homeless because of him?” “How do you sleep at night, knowing you’re protecting someone like him?” Liam faced a dilemma. He wanted to defend Ethan, but as he faced the accusatory looks of his loved ones, he found himself at a loss for words. He felt helpless, sad, and also despair. Meanwhile, the reporter who interviewed Ethan got promoted. At the Lowes’ residence, Stephen, George, and Rachel gathered to watch parody videos mocking Ethan. Ethan's head had been photoshopped onto different bodies, and eggs were th
The Guardian's Return Chapter 57
Ethan noticed a lot of hostility directed his way. He knew the interview must have made the headlines, and it seemed like he had officially become the public enemy. Seeing Liam coming into his cell with lunch, he chuckled and asked, “Why are you doing this?” Liam knew exactly what Ethan was implying. Why help him when things had gotten that bad? “Sigh. The others are still young, and they don’t know what really happened, but I do.” Liam sighed. He knew what Ethan had done for Riveria. If not for Ethan, Riveria would not have seen so many changes and benefits. How could all of those be false? Maybe he had been deceived, but what about the enemy? South Regent showed so much respect to Ethan. His arrival even brought peace to Sky Peak for a day. Not to mention, Ethan had also helped many veterans’ family members to settle down. Some of them were Liam’s personal friends and subordinates, so he viewed Ethan as a benefactor, a kind man. The others, however, stared at Liam from
The Guardian's Return Chapter 58
While Stephen was talking to Simon on the phone, the doorbell rang. “Who’s at the door?” Stephen glanced outside, and when he noticed it was Zane, his brows immediately furrowed. “Dad, I have to go now. Talk to you later.” Simon chuckled and said, “Alright. Talk to you soon.” After the call, Simon happily wandered off to brag about his son’s amazing achievements and bright future. “James, my son will be doing so well next year!” “Tom, my son will be joining the cabinet next year! He will beat your son to it!” “Harry, why don’t you come over to have dinner at my place? My son is coming back next year.” Meanwhile, back at the Lowe’s residence, Stephen answered the door. He looked at Zane, asking, “Mr. Sutton, what brings you here? Have you seen through Ethan Rivers’ true color and come to apologize?” He scrutinized Zane. “If this is an apology, isn’t it a little insincere? Not even a small gift? If you want me to forgive you, this won’t do.” Zane took a deep bre
The Guardian's Return Chapter 59
Just a moment ago, Stephen was telling his father confidently that he could double the city’s GDP in a year and then return home with glory. Now, the city was doomed. In a matter of seconds, sweat covered his forehead and drenched his back. “Get a damage report and issue a warrant for Shawn Hill, Eric Morningstar, and Brandon North! Do whatever you can to control the situation in North Hill City!” That was all Stephen could come up with for the time being. After the call, his legs grew weak. He stumbled backward and collapsed onto the floor, looking utterly defeated. “What happened?” George and Rachel rushed out after hearing the commotion. When they saw Stephen on the floor, they froze. Then, they noticed Zane in front of him, the man’s face ice cold. George bellowed, “Zane Sutton, why did you push him? Can you pay for it if anything happens to him?” Zane stared at George coldly as he replied, “Instead of worrying about him, you should be worrying about yourselves.”
The Guardian's Return Chapter 60
The report of the situation continued through the speaker phone. “Based on our investigations, the ones who wreaked havoc across the city the other day had nothing to do with Ethan Rivers. They were all from the town of Lytton. “However, Eric, Shawn, Brandon, and the town have teamed up together, so they have been covering things up, shifting the blame onto Ethan.” George finally found out about the truth. “It wasn’t Ethan’s fault? He was framed? We’ve wrongly accused him?” Suddenly, the pieces started to fall into place. He understood why Ethan had targeted the three of them. It was because Ethan had known from the start that they were trouble. Both George and Stephen felt ashamed. The insults and things they had said to Ethan had come back to haunt them and bite them in the back. They had accused Ethan of being jealous of people with talent, claimed he was suppressing them out of spite, and thought they had found the brightest people like Shawn, Eric, and Brandon to lea
The Guardian's Return Chapter 61
“Where are Shawn and the others?”“Did they run away?”“Have they crossed the borders?”“Get Simon here now!” Stephen went against the grain and pushed for the appointments of Shawn, Eric, and more. Simon quickly arrived on the scene, carrying a smug smile while stepping into the office. “I was thinking of heading to yours anyway, but since you’re all here. I have good news to share. My son–” Someone cut him off. “That’s enough.” Simon paused. Only then did he realize that tension hung heavy in the air. “What happened?” Simon’s expression hardened as he had not met with such unease in the office before“What happened?” Several smirked in rage. “Well, you should ask your precious son. He destroyed North Hill City.”Simon frowned. The weight of everybody’s hostile gazes was on him. “What did Stephen do? Hasn’t he been doing a great job? His leadership will take North Hill City to new heights.” New heights? Oh, the irony. The group expected improvement too, bu
Latest chapter
The Guardian's Return Chapter 896
While they still had doubts, foreign countries had already extended invitations to Ethan.It was the same as calling them blind. They failed to cherish such a valuable and important person, and even had the nerve to doubt him.Everyone felt their faces burn with shame.They quickly logged into their accounts, keen to show that they had always supported Ethan and never questioned him. However, when they tried to log in, they found that their accounts had been muted.Meanwhile, the people in the meeting room in HQ also saw the international invitations extended to Ethan. The offers were generous, providing not just resources but also status and power.The generosity of the foreign officials made them uneasy. Would Ethan refuse such an offer?If the Grand Marshal were still alive, they might have had some hope, but after the Grand Marshal died, Ethan had to go up against both foreign and domestic enemies alone. They had never once offered help or even asked about the situation.Aft
The Guardian's Return Chapter 895
As Stephen read the comments coming in, he continued, “Ethan’s contributions to Riveria aren’t just that. Because the Grand Marshal couldn’t restore peace to Riveria despite years of effort, and he sadly passed away in sickness, people panicked at that time, filled with despair for the future. “It was Ethan who stood up, taking on the responsibility alone. Under his leadership, foreign forces and internal factions in Riveria suffered a great loss.”He also told stories about Ethan that were passed down outside the borders, such as him single-handedly obtaining half of the South Regent’s forces. Alone, Ethan made the people across the borders respect free marriage. Families and forces no longer dared to force their children to get married. In fact, merely hearing his name was enough to intimidate an army of armed forces into retreating. There were too many stories to recount. The viewers were dumbstruck as they stared at their screens. If someone else said that, they would have
The Guardian's Return Chapter 894
The livestream was not over yet. Stephen admitted publicly to everything he had done over the past six months, from framing Ethan to bringing men to raid his properties, only to find that Ethan bought every house with his own earnings, and it was full of thank-you letters from people he had helped. “He wrote novels, songs, scripts, produced TV shows, movies, held charities, built roads, founded schools and hospitals, and gave Riveria a total makeover, turning it into its prosperous state today. And the novels he wrote, the movies he produced—you’ve all seen them.”Stephen admitted his mistakes and also laid bare Ethan’s sacrifices and contributions. Knowing they had all read the novels Ethan wrote, and many of them were even loyal fans, the viewers felt numb. They often discussed why the author stopped publishing, wondering whether the author was slacking off. On top of that, all those TV shows and movies were commercial hits, gaining high ratings on all platforms. Half were hai
The Guardian's Return Chapter 893
[When you come into the world, something else will be born alongside you. You will start your own life, while it will embark on its journey. It moves slowly but never stops. No matter where you go or which path you choose, it will follow you every step of the way. You may run ahead while it strolls, or you may stop to rest. But it needs no such thing. [Some day, when life gets comfortable, or the most unexpected of times, you will notice a shadow beside you. But it will be too late by then, and your life will end there.]The shadow was death, and it was also his mission. Perhaps his only mission in life was to speak the truth and make Ethan’s contributions known to the world.The number of viewers in Stephen’s livestream skyrocketed as the shocking revelation spread like wildfire. With major media platforms reposting it, the number of viewers hit two million in just a minute,Looking at the rapidly climbing numbers, Stephen had never felt calmer. He knew what he was supposed to do
The Guardian's Return Chapter 892
Looking at the viewers in his livestream, Stephen took a deep breath and faced the camera solemnly. He explained, “I’m sorry. I lied to everyone.”The sudden apology baffled the viewers. They had no idea what Stephen was doing. “The truth is…” Stephen choked, his next words stuck in his throat. It was because he was afraid. He knew that telling the truth would doom him, and he did not want to die. He was still young, and as the Quinn family’s heir, there should be a lifetime of luxury waiting for him to enjoy. However, at the thought of Riveria and the Quinns’ current situation, he overcame that fear. He may not want to die, but more than anything, he wanted the Quinns to survive. Besides, it was unlikely for him to meet Snow, Lily, his best friends, and the people who died helping him ever again. Hence, this was his last and best chance to apologize. He looked into the camera. “I’m not the Grand Marshal’s mentee.”His words left the millions of viewers in the livestream in s
The Guardian's Return Chapter 891
Harrison was speechless. He had no idea that the situation was to that extent. Simon continued, “If you have time, give Stephen a call. You’ll understand everything when you see how he looks now.”After the call ended, Harrison was left feeling confused. Why would he understand everything once he sees Stephen? Puzzled, he tried dialing Stephen’s number. Soon, the video call connected. When he saw the person on the screen, Harrison was stunned. He stood rigid, mouth agape, his aged face filled with shock. The feeling was similar to watching someone get hit brutally by a truck but land safely, perfectly unharmed. “You’re Stephen?” Harrison blurted out. Stephen nodded. Harrison’s phone nearly dropped out of his hand. When Stephen headed to Riveria, he was so young and proud, but now, his hair had turned white, and he had wrinkles on his face. His grandson looked almost as old as him!“How?”Stephen said, “This is karma.”His tone was eerily calm, but his eyes were full of re
The Guardian's Return Chapter 890
Simon asked weakly, “Is there really no chance?”Ethan replied calmly, “Figure it out yourselves. This has nothing to do with me.”With those words, Simon’s last hope was completely shattered. His body swayed. He wanted to say many things, but in the end, he could not utter a single word and stood up in a daze.“Sorry for disturbing you.”With that, he turned and slowly left. At that moment, he felt like he aged a lot. Regret filled his heart. If he had known, he would never have provoked Ethan in the first place. He was the one who cut off every retreat and every path to survival.He had doomed himself!As soon as he left the villa, his phone rang. It was a call from his father, Harrison.“Something's happened!” Harrison said anxiously. “Stephen just announced that he’s going to reveal the truth that he deceived everyone! What’s he trying to do? He’s not really going to expose the truth, right?”Simon was silent. He did not expect Stephen to act so quickly. Stephen had just ca
The Guardian's Return Chapter 889
Stephen continued, “I’ve already made up my mind. I just called you to tell you about this. This is my decision. No matter what happens next, don’t try to help me.”Simon was moved. Stephen was telling them to watch as he walked to his death. Simon could not bear it, but the problem was too significant. Refusing would make no difference.In the end, he took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “I understand.”Stephen forced a smile. “Thanks.”The call ended.Simon stood still, holding his phone, lost in thought. In that final moment, Stephen did not seem like a young man, but an elder.“He really has... surpassed me.”Stephen finally had the strength to take over the Quinn family and lead it to glory, but he was going to die. Simon looked up at the sky and could not help but remember the word that Stephen said.“Fate.”What if he took Stephen’s place in death? Could that save him?However, after thinking about it, it was impossible. This whole incident involved Ethan. Ethan
The Guardian's Return Chapter 888
“What?” Simon was shocked.Reveal the truth? How could they do that?Coveting Ethan’s achievements, they wanted to take Riveria from him and claim his victories as their own. They worked with the Lowe family to frame Ethan, erased all his contributions, and painted him as a corrupt official who embezzled money to support his mistresses.Even now, many people still believed them and cursed Ethan online every day.If the truth were exposed, the Quinns would be finished. No one in the Quinns and the Lowes would be able to escape.“Have you gone mad?”Stephen shook his head. “I’m thinking straight. I’ve never been more rational than I am right now. I’ll reveal the truth, but I won’t implicate the Quinns.”He said slowly, “I’ll take all the blame upon myself. The only one who dies will be me.”Simon paled. “No!”Sacrificing Stephen to save the Quinns—he could not accept that!Stephen was the only heir of the Quinn family, and he represented the family’s image. If the public found
