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Chapter 59
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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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 62
“Don’t lie to me. I’ll verify this with Stephen.” Simon pulled out his phone. Before he could punch the numbers, his phone rang with a call from Stephen. The suspicious timing of the call made Simon’s heart sink. He dreaded the realization of his worst fear. Simon shakily took the call. “Dad, North Hill City is in trouble.” Those words hit Simon like a ton of bricks. It was true. North Hill City was done for. To make matters worse, they gave the culprits the means to commit the crime. “Shawn and–” Simon interrupted Stephen and said, “I got it. Your priority is to restore order in the city. “Stop the mayhem from spreading. North Hill City’s economy can’t afford another hit.” Then, he ended the call. Simon sat on the chair at a loss, devastated that the city was ruined at the hands of his son. Stephen had become a disgrace. “It’s all your son’s fault. North Hill City is ruined because of the people your son picked. “Your son only realized what was going on when t
The Guardian's Return Chapter 63
The previously swayed businesspeople and investors remained steadfast. “We can talk once North Hill City is peaceful again.” They then turned on their heels to leave. It was now or never if they wanted to get out of there. Thrown in a panic, Stephen grabbed one businessman and said, “Can’t you give me a little more time?” The businessman stopped and gave him a callous look. “You’re not Ethan, though. If Ethan were here today, we would stay even without the perks.“That’s all we have to say. We have a plane to catch.” The businessman shook Stephen’s arm off, leaving Stephen standing there at a loss. Ethan’s name was mentioned yet again, and Stephen could not understand why the public had so much faith in him. Despite Stephen’s humble pleading, the business owners were determined to leave. “How am I any worse than Ethan?” The chaos in North Hill City quickly emerged online, and the public expressed their confusion. “What’s with the sudden mayhem in North Hill City?”
The Guardian's Return Chapter 64
The shame cut through them like a knife. Their hands were stained with blood, not of their enemies, but of a hero who worked silently for the betterment of the people. “Argh!” They let out a loud cry. The public destroyed and deleted their vile creations manically. However, their attempts were futile. The videos and comments were etched into their minds, playing in loops of the harm they did to Ethan. “Shawn, Eric, and Brandon gave us nothing but trouble. Why did we idolize the criminals?” “Ethan shielded us from harm, but we were the ones who hurt him.” “How are we different from devils?” The online community started deleting their vile comments, but reading back their comments stung their eyes with shame.They had said the meanest things about Ethan, and the hurt was reflected in them now. Every word they wrote was like a dagger, stabbing them repeatedly. The pleasure they felt when penning their thoughts, only came back to bite. Those who claimed the most absurd thing
The Guardian's Return Chapter 65
Liam sat in a room by himself, staring blankly at the sky outside the window. Liam’s preferential treatment of Ethan sparked a formal complaint, prompting an investigation. Hence, he was suspended from all duties, the outcome pending. Still, Liam did not think he had done anything wrong. “Click.” The door to the room opened. Liam kept his head down, knowing the grilling had begun. Ethan was now public enemy number one, and his support of Ethan would only mark him the target of public outrage. He was done for. “I’m sorry, Liam.” A voice boomed. Dumbstruck, Liam thought his ears were deceiving him. He turned to the door and saw a group with their heads hung down, puzzled as to what was going on.“You were right to defend Ethan.”“We were wrong about everything.”Their apologies took Liam off guard, but he quickly caught on. He was saved—saved by Ethan. Liam was quickly removed from confinement, and his job was reinstated. On the way back to the precinct, he scrolled on
The Guardian's Return Chapter 66
Stephen could not bring himself to leave home either as the public condemned him and demanded answers. The public even suspected he was in on it with Brandon’s party. Hence, instead of Ethan, Stephen was now the subject of mocking videos. Before, Stephen would burst out laughing at those videos. However, all he had left now was tears, and Brandon, Ethan, and the others were the cause of his misery. “I know you miss me, but don’t miss me too much. I’m having a blast now. I doubt I’d go back.” With the 10 billion dollars he snagged, Brandon was living the high life. As beautiful women attended to him, he held a fine red wine in hand while his armed bodyguards stood on guard. Stephen, too, knew that Brandon would never return. It was far-fetched to think Stephen could catch Brandon. “Why did you lie to me?” Stephen asked dejectedly. Brandon replied with a smile, “That’s an easy question. You’re gullible.” The truth cut through Stephen like a knife, and it hurt worse than b
The Guardian's Return Chapter 67
Another commented, “We want this to be over too, but there’s nothing we can do. We can only hope for the whole thing to go away on its own.” The public’s attention would surely dwindle in a few days. “No.” Simon refused without hesitation. There was no way Stephen could suffer a few more days in misery. “Do you have a better idea?” Faced with the question, Simon fell silent for a moment. Then, he replied, “There’s only one thing left to do. Make Shawn, Eric, and Brandon’s crimes public and put arrest warrants out for them. As for Ethan… He was wrongly accused in all of this, but he’s not entirely without blame. Stephen, on the other hand…” Simon looked at everybody and said, “Like us, he was fooled by how sneaky Shawn and his friends were. Besides, Ethan should hold some responsibility. He knew what those people were like but said nothing anyway. It’s outrageous of him to mislead us and put the city at risk. “Stephen isn’t the main culprit. Most of the blame is on Shawn
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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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 887
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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 886
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
