Those who could not afford the branded grains or were not interested were forced to purchase the normal quality produced, which were actually the contaminated ones. The farmers saw their incomes shrink while facing challenges such as water shortages and animal damage. These issues deepened their grievances and made them less meticulous in cultivating their crops. As the quality of the crops went down, the water in the reserve was being drained even more. Farmers started to look for other jobs to feed their families. Foreign companies came into play and started to acquire chernozem. There was a lot of chernozem, or black soil that was extremely fertile and productive, in the reserve area, so people started to sneak in, smuggle the soil out, and sell it to the companies. Rachel and Stephen were unaware of these activities. Stephen was pleased that Breeze City’s GDP was going up. “It’s finally going up.” His eyes teared up. Before this, each city he took over went down in ru
Several hospitals were overloaded with patients, and some of them even had to stand outside by the road. The incident started trending online. “A massive cold! Is there a plague coming?” Stephen noticed this, so he sent his men to investigate further. While waiting for an update, he felt strange while reading the comments online. Why would so many people get sick all of a sudden? Could it be a widespread disease? Soon, his men came back with an update. There was no outbreak of disease, but those who fell ill experienced a significant weakening of their immune systems. Stephen frowned. He did not notice anything strange as he assumed it was normal that one’s immune system would weaken during a cold. He told his men to release a statement online: “The cold that everyone is experiencing is not a disease or a plague. Don’t worry and carry on with your daily activities.” Stephen even said, “I swear on my name that it is just a coincidence. People around me are not sick at al
Stephen was stunned. She said that he accused Theo out of jealousy, exactly like how he accused Ethan? The moment the words entered his ears, a realization struck. When Daniel and Caleb were locked up and Theo quickly took over the two companies, he already felt a sense of familiarity. Now with Ethan in the mix, he finally knew why it felt so familiar. It was the exact method he had used against Ethan. He had accused Ethan, framed him for something he did not do, and then locked him up so that he could take over everything. His body was shaking as the thought rose in his mind. Even though the investigation of the crops and grains was still going on, he already had the answer. Theo must be the problem. He must have sold the contaminated crops and grains! Daniel and Caleb were clean; they were framed! “Nothing to say for yourself?” Rachel scoffed, “Did I expose you and leave you speechless? Others don’t know you but I do.” “Shut up!” Stephen’s head was in a mess. He refused
“If someone really dies, he won’t be the only person sent to jail. You’ll be arrested too!”Stephen felt that life with Rachel was unbearable. They had been married for so long, but she would not even let him touch her, always wore a sour face, and acted as though he owed her billions. When he asked what was wrong, she refused to explain.“You want a divorce, right? Fine, let’s get a divorce!”Rachel’s legs went weak. She did not expect the matter to be this serious. She had to go to jail too? “You’re joking, right?” She was no longer angry, and her tone softened as well. “I’m George Lowe’s daughter, as well as your wife. How can I go to jail?”“Why not?” Stephen clenched his fists. “Do you really think the Quinns are omnipotent? We still haven’t found Snow yet!”Rachel was thoroughly afraid now. She grabbed Stephen’s arm, her teary eyes wide as she stared at him. “You’ll help me, right? I’m your wife, and my dad went to jail because of you. Dad told you to protect me. You won’t l
Stephen took a deep breath. “Head to the warehouse first. There are people going after Theo already. They should capture him soon.”Unbeknownst to him, Theo had already escaped the day before. Supported by the Spencers, Theo was well-informed and had boarded a flight out of Breeze City before being exposed.Now, he had arrived at Drakthorn Ridge. He still had one last wish. Theo entered the villa and slowly approached Ethan. He took out a bank card and placed it on the table gently.“There’s 300 million in here. Please give her this card.”Everything he did was to ensure his sister would have enough money to spend for the rest of her life. He could not let her endure the same hardships he had. Theo had figured it out. He knew that he could not escape, so he planned to turn himself in later.“If possible, I’d like to see her once, even if it’s just for a moment from a distance.”Ethan glanced at the bank card. “Even after everything you did, you still want to meet her?”Thud.
“I...” Theo burst into tears. “I never expected this to happen.”He had done everything for his sister, but unexpectedly, those actions ended up harming her. If he had known earlier, he would never have done those things.Ethan watched as Theo cried and said indifferently, “Stop crying. I gave you two choices. You can pretend she never existed. After all, you’ve lived so many years without seeing her. Letting go is easier than holding on.”Theo shook his head. “No, I can’t do it.” He had suffered for three years and finally found a glimmer of hope through Ethan. There was no way he could let it go now.He was an arrogant and overbearing young master in the past. When the Harlow family fell, he spent three years in pain and hatred. Now, he found out that he had hated the wrong person for three years, and he had walked down a path to a dead end he could not turn back from.When Ethan told him that he had a sister, Theo grabbed it like a drowning man clutching a lifeline. Ensuring hi
“Your time is running out,” Ethan’s voice said.At the same time, the girl slowly turned around. Just as Theo was about to see her face, he woke up!He opened his eyes and saw the ceiling of Ethan’s villa. As he sat up slowly, he realized that Ethan was no longer in the living room. He thought of the words Ethan spoke in his dream and hurriedly left the villa. Outside, he thanked Ethan for his final help again before turning to leave.Theo hurried down the mountain and called Rachel, saying that he was wronged and framed. He wanted to meet Rachel so that he could explain the truth.Rachel believed him and immediately flew over to the capital to meet him.Theo used sweet words to continue to deceive Rachel. “I have evidence to prove that I was framed, but it’s all in Breeze City. We need to go back.”With Rachel’s help, Theo easily returned to Breeze City. Once he was in a safe location, he immediately took action and tied Rachel up with ropes.“I tricked you.” Theo looked at Rac
“Not yet.” Stephen frowned. “Is she important?”“That’s none of your concern. Just hurry up and find her.”A few minutes later, Stephen’s phone rang. Theo immediately answered it on speakerphone. It was a staff reporting that they found a girl who fit the description.Her name was Noelle Harlow, and she had just turned twelve. She was a very lovable little girl.Upon hearing this, Theo’s eyes instantly reddened. He finally found her!Stephen noticed his reaction and connected the dots with the girl’s last name. A bold idea formed in his head. “She’s your sister.”Theo immediately denied it, “No.” He did not dare to admit their relationship. He was afraid that his actions would implicate the girl.Theo said, “Call a doctor. Have them take a sample of my blood and perform a DNA match with hers.”Since both Rachel and Stephen were being held hostage, the staff had no choice but to listen. Soon, a doctor entered nervously with his equipment.Theo did not make things difficult for
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
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
“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
A few minutes later, Stephen finally accepted reality and slowly walked out of the washroom.Still feeling lightheaded, he searched through the medicine cabinet, swallowed some fever medicine, and sat on the couch.“I don’t have much time left.”Stephen began executing his final plan. He would take the blame for everything and reveal the truth. Once he did that, Ethan’s name would be cleared, and he would reclaim everything that was rightfully his. The Quinns would also have a chance to survive.The only person who would die was himself.Stephen was afraid of death in the past, but it was different now. He had lost everything. His heart was shattered beyond repair. His heart completely died the moment Snow and Lily walked away from him.Rhys’s experience gave him the courage to face death. They had gone through similar experiences and shared the same fate of death, but Rhys had chosen to meet it head-on.Stephen took out his phone and started drafting his statement. He had to ex
George rushed out upon hearing Rachel’s scream.“There’s a stranger in the house! He’s in the bathroom now!”George grabbed a broom and walked forward nervously. Who would dare to break into the Lowes' house? However, when he saw Stephen’s current appearance, he froze.George was in his fifties and had greying hair and wrinkles while Stephen was only in his twenties. However, Stephen looked even older than him.George rubbed his eyes, thinking they were playing tricks on him. When he opened them again, Stephen still had a head full of white hair.“That’s Stephen?”Behind him, Rachel covered her mouth in shock.The first time she saw Stephen, she had been attracted by his looks. Although he was not as handsome as Ethan, his status as an heir, along with his background and aura, added to his charm.However, that once-dashing Stephen had turned into an old man with white hair and wrinkles. His powerful aura as the heir of the Quinns was completely gone. Now, he no longer looked li
Stephen’s mind went blank. Pleading Ethan to return did not work. He had missed his final opportunity. Ethan no longer cared about Riveria anymore. He was doomed, and so was Riveria. “Enough,” Ethan said. “You can leave. This should be the last time we meet.”After that, Ethan turned around and walked back into the villa. “No!”Stephen scrambled over to Ethan on his hands and knees, trying to grab hold of his thigh. Thud! Ethan’s strength surpassed that of a military expert. Before Stephen could reach him, Ethan kicked him to the ground. Stephen rolled on the floor disgracefully and was covered with dust when he stopped, looking like a beggar on the side of the road. “Please. Give me and Riveria a chance. I’ll tell everyone the truth!”Bang. Only the sound of the door closing slowly responded to him. Stephen crawled up and slumped on the ground. He failed to get Ethan to step in. Even his life was not worth anything now. All of the karma had come to him.Stephen’s b
After waking up from his dream, he must face the fact that they had already left. “I’m fine,” Stephen said weakly. “Please discharge me.”He knew he was not physically sick, but it was his mind that was troubled. Staying in the hospital further was useless. He knew he had more important things to do and that staying would only waste his time.The nurse frowned. “I’ll let them know.”Discharging Stephen from the hospital was not a decision the nurse could make on her own. The doctor arrived and gave Stephen a full-body examination.“You’re in a bad state. We recommend you stay in the hospital and have some rest.”Stephen shook his head. “No.”“But…”“No buts!” Stephen raised his voice, “I don’t have much time left!”After joining the Rhys Festival, learning about Rhys, and hearing that Snow and Lily chose to leave him, he had a dream. In his dream, Rhys said that he had a way to solve the problem and asked him to follow him.Although he could not follow Rhys, Stephen knew tha
Stephen slumped to the ground, the strength drained from his body. Even his consciousness was fading away. Due to a misunderstanding, he lost Snow. For temporary happiness, he had missed Lily. He had been living in pain and regret, always fantasizing about the day he would find the two women, apologize to them properly, and provide them with a happy life. But now, just when he had finally caught a glimpse of them, they slipped away from his fingers. And before he even managed to find them, he was informed of the news that they did not love him anymore. These revelations felt like a thousand knives stabbing directly into Stephen’s heart, so agonizing that he could hardly breathe. It was even worse than death. “How did it end up like this?” Tears streamed down his face as he muttered, “I haven’t found them. I still owe them an apology. Why…” He had lost Snow and Lily forever. They were alive and well, but they no longer had anything to do with him. From now on, they would b
Stephen spun around anxiously, glancing and trying to find the figure of the two women in the crowd. The South Regent and Victor could not help but laugh at the side. “Stop teasing him,” Victor said. Stephen looked at them. “What do you mean?”The South Regent tried to hold back his laughter. “I tricked you. You didn’t run in the wrong direction. We took the boat here.”Stephen glanced at the river and, true enough, saw a small boat. He was in such a rush that he did not notice it. “Where are they?” Stephen could no longer care whether he was tricked. Right now, nothing was more important than finding Snow and Lily. “They left. Duh.” The South Regent said, “The festival is almost over, so they left. Although you didn’t run the wrong way, you were too late.”Stephen yelled, “Impossible!”“It’s true. They left,” Victor added. “Nonsense!” Stephen stood on his tiptoes and scanned his surroundings. “Snow! Lily! Where are you?”Victor shook his head. “Did you really think