LOGINShare
Chapter 60
Last Updated:
2024-09-18 15:25:07Related chapters
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
Last Updated : 2024-09-18The 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
Last Updated : 2024-09-18The 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?”
Last Updated : 2024-09-18The 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
Last Updated : 2024-09-18The 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
Last Updated : 2024-09-18The 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
Last Updated : 2024-09-18The 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
Last Updated : 2024-09-18The Guardian's Return Chapter 68
“I can see why he feels that way, considering the accusations against him.”Simon sought help from experts to write an apology letter. It was a deep dive into the subject matter with each word carefully selected to leave the public pondering its underlying meaning. The brief letter shirked Stephen of any responsibility except his judgment on hiring, pinning most fault on Shawn, Eric, and Brandon. Ethan was also partly to be blamed, and Stephen was just the gullible party who knew nothing. Though fooled, Stephen only acted out in the public’s best interest, so the public had to keep their thoughts to themselves. “He’s committed to our well-being.”“The faults lie on Shawn, Eric, and Brandon. They didn’t just have Stephen fooled, but us too.” “Ethan should share a part of the blame too. He knew what was going on but said nothing anyway.” Simon hired trolls to sway public opinion. Those internet trolls downplayed Stephen’s mistake, making him innocent. Simon had also gotten
Last Updated : 2024-09-18
Latest chapter
The Guardian's Return Chapter 652
Meanwhile…Rachel had pulled Stephen into their room.Unable to find any trace of Lily at the foot of the mountain, Jason felt that something was amiss. After asking around, he learned that no one was seen driving down. At this point, alarm bells started ringing in his head.He quickly led his men up to the summit where he found Lily."Lily!" Seeing her standing at the cliff's edge, his heart lurched, and he cried out, "Calm down! Get away from there!"Lily turned to look at him, her face already streaked with tears. She had wanted to see Stephen one last time but was unable to. Instead, it was Jason, her brother who wanted to drag her back, who found her."We can talk about the marriage. Just come here first.” Jason inched forward carefully. "Come to me. I'll make things right."Lily shook her head, knowing these were just lies to trick her. Once they got her back to the Fords, these words would mean nothing."Brother, don't lie to me," she responded. "I know that you’re only
The Guardian's Return Chapter 651
Jason could not understand the conversation between Lily and Ethan, but he had not forgotten why he came here. He said to Lily, "Come back with me right now. Everyone's been looking for you since you ran away. Go home and apologize to Mom and Dad, and don't run off like this again. You're getting married in just over a month. Stay home and learn how to be a proper wife."Hearing this, Lily's heart grew heavier. She became more convinced that her gut feeling was correct."I'm not going," Lily said."Stop being ridiculous!" Jason grabbed her arm. "You're coming back with us right now. If the Katz family finds out you're running around like this, it won't be good for any of us. The Fords raised you for all these years. It's time for you to repay them."Lily's last hope died. She finally understood why the Fords were forcing her to marry into the Katz family—they had never seen her as a person. Just like in Cora and Scott's story, both she and Cora were merely bargaining chips for thei
The Guardian's Return Chapter 650
Jason’s eyes widened. “Who wiped them out?”“Ethan Rivers! This name keeps coming up.”Jason froze, taken aback. The bodyguards around him and Lily also looked terrified because the man named Ethan Rivers was right before their eyes! Just moments ago, Jason had arrogantly demanded that Ethan apologize to them.The bodyguards could not help but stumble backward.Jason’s mind raced. Those powerful forces were not much weaker than his family, yet Ethan had wiped them all out.What did that mean? It meant it would be no problem for Ethan to wipe out the entire Ford family!“You should understand now,” said Ethan, “that in my eyes, your family and all other families have no dignity or honor to speak of.”Jason turned paled, and his body trembled uncontrollably. “Who exactly are you?”He never knew that such a terrifying figure existed in Riveria.Suddenly, he understood why Stephen had changed so drastically after coming to Riveria. The place was far more terrifying than the powe
The Guardian's Return Chapter 649
"You're alone with him in his house. Just the two of you, a man and a woman. Aren't you worried about what people will say? And don't forget your place—you’re still the Katzes’ future daughter-in-law!"Lily lowered her head in despair. Only Ethan remained seated, his expression calm as he looked at Jason.“I can assure you that I don’t find Lily attractive. I can also assure you that the Katzes would not dare to say anything even if they found out she spent the night here. Also, a family that sells off their own daughter has no dignity to speak of.”Jason frowned. “Is that your justification? Do you think you can avoid apologizing with that and simply brush the matter aside?”“No,” said Ethan. “I have just one answer. Your family has a vast intelligence network and access to the largest database. Find out who caused the chaos in Riveria three years ago.”Jason did not understand what Ethan was up to. However, he was curious, especially since Stephen had encountered a series of set
The Guardian's Return Chapter 648
“Mr. Rivers.” Lily lowered her head.Ethan looked at her calmly.“I was reckless and irrational yesterday. Please forgive me, Mr. Rivers.”Then, she bowed toward him.In the span of a day, she had experienced Stephen leaving her and her own family locking her up, demanding that she cut ties with Stephen. She had thought things through and came to a realization that the only person in the world who could help her now was the person in front of her—Ethan Rivers. She also understood that she could not walk away unscathed.Her visit today had two purposes. The first was to apologize to Ethan sincerely and earn Ethan’s forgiveness. As for the second...Lily raised her head and looked at Ethan. “I have an unreasonable request. I can’t let him go. Please help me move on from him, Mr. Rivers.”She knew she had to marry Sebastian, so she wanted to move on from Stephen. That way, it would be better for both her and Stephen.Ethan said calmly, “You should go to a psychologist or neurolo
The Guardian's Return Chapter 647
Everyone was surprised. In the past, Stephen would always find excuses to avoid responsibility, but now, he was openly admitting to his mistakes.“He’s actually facing all the issues head-on.”“This doesn’t seem like Stephen’s usual style. Is this a PR tactic?”“Who cares what it is? Just criticize him as usual. None of the previous problems have been solved yet.”“That’s true. He still deserves to be criticized!”“A rotten apple will always be rotten. No matter how nice his words sound tonight, he’ll go back to his old tricks tomorrow.”The public was only slightly surprised at his behavior, but they had no doubt as to what he would do in the future—he would continue to destroy the city’s peace.Stephen was prepared for that reaction.“I’ve made too many mistakes in the past. It’s impossible for everyone to believe in me immediately. However, as long as I keep working hard, they’ll slowly change their opinions of me.”After getting everything off his chest, he felt lighter, l
The Guardian's Return Chapter 646
“You sure like joking around, Dad,” Rachel responded, trying not to show how much she actually cared about the situation.Then, she added, “It’ll happen naturally.”Simon did not expose her either and simply said, “Do as you please.”He stood and left. He still had a lot to handle, such as the companies leaving in droves and the problems with the development zone.After he was gone, Rachel immediately stood up and went upstairs to look for Stephen. She wanted to take action immediately.When she walked into the room, she saw Stephen sitting at his desk, reading through some documents.“Stop reading that.” Rachel stepped forward and tried to drag him to bed.However, Stephen was not in the mood. His mind was a chaotic mess, consumed by the proposals in front of him and the haunting image of Lily breaking into tears when he left her.“Don’t bother me.” Stephen pushed Rachel away.Rachel was stunned. Stephen had always cared deeply for her. Since their marriage, she had not even
The Guardian's Return Chapter 645
At the foot of the mountain, Lily and Stephen, sitting in their car, had no idea that the family of three they had just encountered was Scott and Cora from the story.They had no idea that Ethan saved both Scott and Cara and even led them to live a blissful life together. However, watching the happy family caused Lily and Stephen to feel even more upset.They were from prestigious, powerful families, with more money than they could ever spend and the kind of influence most people could only dream of. Yet, in their marriages, they were not even as happy as random strangers on the street. Not only had they missed out on love, but there was not even a moment of fleeting passion between them.Lily wept quietly, but Stephen had no idea how to comfort her. He merely sat beside her, his head bowed.Just then, his phone rang. He did not want to answer it, but the caller was persistent. Stephen took out his phone, and when he saw that it was Simon, he reluctantly picked up.“Have you wrapp
The Guardian's Return Chapter 644
Lily shook her head. She knew what the result was just by looking at Stephen’s expression. She smiled wryly. “You’ve done enough. I’m very happy about all you’ve done for me. Let’s head down the mountain.”Stephen was barely keeping it together, so Lily drove them down. She seemed fine on the surface, but once they reached the foot of the mountain, she could not hold back anymore. She stopped the car and burst into tears.Stephen listened to her sobs but was powerless. He knew why Lily was crying, but he could not comfort her.Just then, someone knocked on the car window. Lily held back her cries and rolled down the window.A couple carrying a child stood outside, and the man asked in concern, “Is something wrong? Do you need help?”Lily looked at the happy family in front of her and felt worse.“I’m fine. Please leave.”Then, she rolled the window back up.The couple exchanged a look before leaving helplessly.Inside the car, Lily choked out, “Steph, I don’t want to leave y
