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Chapter 62
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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
The 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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 69
That afternoon, Stephen could breathe easy at home. “The worst has passed.” He was scared out of his wits upon learning the city’s state of affairs. Luckily, he had Simon’s help and narrowly managed to weather the crisis. Still, there was a lot to reflect on. Most importantly, Stephen may be out of the woods but North Hill City was not. It would take at least another two weeks before the turmoil could settle.The dwindling number of businesses in North Hill City had resulted in a severe job shortage. If left unchecked, it could cause a massive population decline. Another issue was with the nature reserve. With the reserve mistakenly turned into a development area, Lytton wrecked and destroyed the habitat, leading to a drop in wildlife. It was a massive loss to the city and the world. The city’s water supply had also been contaminated, and it would take two weeks to improve the water quality. The area had to be reclaimed before more damage was done. However, then came anot
The Guardian's Return Chapter 70
Stephen frowned. “Would the people accept the houses, though?” George replied without care, “Well, they get a house, don’t they? It’s not our problem whether they accept it or not. If they have a problem with it, they can take it up with the new mayor.” Stephen finally caught on. All they needed to do was slap some houses together to get the public off their backs, and the new mayor could handle the backlash after. “That’s a good idea.” Stephen looked at George and said, “It seems I have a lot of things to learn.” George squeezed a smile. He had picked up the relocation idea from Ethan, who had submitted several reports in the past, and George acquired the proposal from glancing through the papers back then. There was a follow-up plan too. However, George did not bother to read through the paperwork, so he could not remember much. The only thing he recalled was the public’s complete satisfaction after the execution of the plan, and Ethan resolved the issue flawlessly. Georg
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 920
After everything was settled, the people from HQ went to Ethan again. They apologized to him and begged for his forgiveness.“We’ve dealt with everyone involved in this matter. Are you satisfied with the outcome, Mr. Rivers?”With that, they lowered their heads to the ground nervously. Their only hope now hinged on Ethan’s response.They did not dare to ask for much. All they hoped for was that Ethan would not leave the country.Ethan glanced at them calmly and said, “Send someone to help move my stuff down the mountain.”Hearing that, everyone was first stunned, and then ecstatic.“Of course!” they replied in unison.They understood what Ethan meant. He was staying! Although it was not his complete forgiveness, he was willing to give them another chance.They were all overjoyed. As long as Ethan did not leave, there was plenty of time to slowly make amends.They took out their phones and made arrangements to help Ethan move.After the call ended, they said, “We respectfully
The Guardian's Return Chapter 919
The day of Rachel and George’s trial came.The livestream began at 10 a.m., and hundreds of thousands of viewers joined instantly.Rachel and George slowly walked into the courtroom in handcuffs.Bang! The judge’s gavel fell, and the room went silent.It was not a lawsuit. It was a trial to expose the sins of Rachel and George.The judge read out their crimes one by one, until Rachel and George’s faces paled to the point that they looked like corpses.The viewers in the livestream finally saw the full picture.“So that’s it! The Quinns and the Lowes conspired!”“They deserve to die! How could they frame Ethan like that? Are they even human?”“The death penalty! They deserve the death penalty!”They were all furious.Many people had lost their families as a result of supporting Stephen and scolding Ethan. After watching the livestream, they realized just how deeply they had been wrong.They were accomplices to the Quinns and the Lowes' crimes in framing Ethan!Their current
The Guardian's Return Chapter 918
They suppressed their disgust and returned home, only to see their parents and wives’ panicked expressions.“What did you do out there?”“So many people came today, asking for you by name.”How were they supposed to answer those questions? They could not just say that they had insulted Ethan online.If they did, their parents would beat them to death before anyone else could.“It’s nothing,” they replied stiffly. They had no choice but to hide the truth. After all, they could not say that they had insulted Ethan, or that they had lost their jobs.However, the next second, their parents received text messages. After their parents glanced at their phones, their expressions instantly changed.It was a message from the bank, stating that their child had been listed as a defaulter and urging them to repay the loan immediately.“What have you done?” Their parents’ voices trembled.Seeing that there was no way to hide it anymore, they had no choice but to confess the truth.They los
The Guardian's Return Chapter 917
Seeing that message, they immediately felt as if their world had ended.Because they had insulted Ethan, they lost their jobs, were blacklisted, and could not find work again.“How could this be?”No one expected this outcome. They thought, ‘So what if I insulted him? Are they going to punish me for it? Besides, so many people are insulting him. They can’t possibly punish every single person who did it. At most, I’ll post a public apology and promise that I’ll never do it again.’However, now they were all fired. Everyone who had insulted Ethan had been dismissed from their jobs.It seemed like there were several tens of thousands of people involved! It was hard to imagine just how many people had lost their jobs in real life.“Why are they going this far? Aren’t they afraid of causing unrest?”Of course, HQ had considered that. However, they knew what was more serious.If Ethan went abroad and cooperated with foreign countries, the consequences would not be limited to a few pe
The Guardian's Return Chapter 916
George thought that Rachel had already escaped abroad, so he was not afraid when he arrived.Now, when he saw Rachel there as well, he completely panicked.This was not what he had expected!“Where else would she be?” someone from HQ asked.George looked nervous and stammered, unable to say a word.With Rachel caught and him being brought here, it was clear that HQ already knew the truth. Coupled with his fear of Ethan and his helplessness in the face of reality, he no longer had the strength to make up any excuses.He had resigned himself to fate.“You really have some nerve." The people from HQ sneered. “You fooled us all completely.”“You’ve been hiding Ethan’s contributions all this time, haven’t you?”“You two are nothing but disasters to this country! You deserve to die a thousand times over.”George kept his head down while Rachel sobbed. “I was wrongfully accused!”“Shut up! Are you still trying to fool us at a time like this? You were wrongfully accused? By who? Sim
The Guardian's Return Chapter 915
They brought this on themselves, forcing themselves into a corner with no way out. “Ah!”Simon could not take it anymore. He suddenly ran towards the window, trying to end his life. Fortunately, the officials quickly stopped him. “Don’t be reckless! Think about Stephen. You’re all he has now!”That sentence made Simon stop. Now, Stephen and Simon were each other’s support and burden. Simon slumped on the ground weakly. Right now, they both wanted to die, but neither of them had the courage to follow through. All they could do was live on in pain. After a long silence, Simon said, “I’d like to file a report on someone.”To obtain some kind of reward and survive a little longer, Simon decided to turn in George and Rachel. When the officials heard him, they were stunned. They did not expect Rachel to be involved in framing Ethan. “Shit!” Someone exclaimed. “I heard Rachel bought a flight ticket overseas. Could she have fled?”The room was filled with dread. If Rachel ra
The Guardian's Return Chapter 914
Seeing that Stephen was awake, the others rushed to get the doctor. The doctor was astonished as well. Stephen’s sudden awakening was nothing short of a miracle. However, after examining him, the doctor’s expression darkened. Stephen had regained consciousness, but the prognosis was far from hopeful.“He can’t move,” the doctor said. “As of now, he’s paralyzed.”Stephen could open his eyes, but the rest of his body was unresponsive. He could not move his limbs or his neck and mouth. The only part he could move freely was his eye. Even his breathing was dependent entirely on medical equipment. “He might never be able to leave the bed again.”Upon hearing that, Stephen closed his eyes in despair, tears continuously rolling down his cheeks. He had fought so hard to wake up, only to realize he had missed his final chance to meet Snow and Lily. Worse yet, he also lost the ability to move. From now on, he would be confined to the bed and hooked up to machines just to stay alive.
The Guardian's Return Chapter 913
His father died a miserable death, his son was in a coma, and the Quinn family was shattered, leaving only Simon behind to finally realize all his mistakes. However, it was too late. Harrison could not come back to life, the Quinn family could not be whole again, and Stephen could not recover. Simon would forever be haunted by pain, despair, and regret for the rest of his life. At that moment, in complete darkness, Stephen heard Simon’s voice. He was conscious but failed to open his eyes or speak; he could not move a muscle. He wanted so badly to sit up and tell Simon that it was not solely his fault. They were all wrong, and this was their retribution!Just then, two women walked into the ward. When the officials saw them, their eyes widened in shock. For a second, no one even breathed. They were Snow and Lily!The officials thought they were seeing ghosts. Those women were supposed to be dead. Why were they there? Snow and Lily noticed their shocked gazes and offered them
The Guardian's Return Chapter 912
Due to Harrison’s previous incident, the officials reacted quickly by sending Stephen straight to the hospital.After an emergency rescue, Stephen’s life was saved. However, he paid a heavy price. When the doctor walked out of the emergency room, the officials asked, “How is he?”“The situation isn’t looking good,” the doctor said grimly. “His body is in a bad state, and due to long-term emotional distress, he suffered a brain hemorrhage from the emotional shock.“He’s still in a coma, and we can’t say for sure when he’ll wake up again. It depends on his will to live.”The officials drew a sharp breath. “Do you mean he might end up in a coma forever?”The doctor nodded. No one saw coming that Stephen would fall into a coma, with little chance of ever waking up again. However, it also meant he did not have to die anymore. He would be alive but confined to a bed. Suddenly, they thought of Harrison’s desperate pleas to Ethan back in his villa. “I’m willing to trade my life fo
