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
“Ethan Rivers, we’ve received a report accusing you of multiple crimes, including embezzlement and bribery. Please come with us.”At Villa 88, Grand Tomson in Riveria, two uniformed officers stood before Ethan, their eyes fixed coldly on him.“Do you have the wrong person?” Ethan frowned.He was the future son-in-law of the governor, currently managing the entire province on the governor’s behalf. Over the past three years, he had worked tirelessly to increase the GDP of Riveria by fivefold.Thanks to him, Riveria was transformed from a poor backwater into a developed province with a GDP of 15 trillion dollars!“There’s no mistake.” A cold voice suddenly sounded from the front.Ethan was stunned to see the speaker. It was a beautiful woman, who was the governor’s daughter and his fiancee, Rachel Lowe.Rachel approached slowly, her gaze indifferent as she looked at Ethan. “I was the one who made the report. They’re here to arrest you.”When he heard her and saw the look in her e
“Besides, the Quinns from the capital will have a marriage alliance with us. Once Stephen Quinn comes to Riveria, he’ll easily raise the GDP to 20 trillion within a year!”Rachel walked over to the table and continued with a smile, “The Lowes’ affairs are none of your concern. You should worry about yourself now.”She smiled faintly. “After all, you’ll be spending the rest of your life behind bars.”One of the officers then took out a pair of silver handcuffs.Ethan knew that the Lowes must have planned it thoroughly. There was no chance they would let him walk away today, but he did not plan on walking away anyway. He was feeling a bit tired, after all. Over the past three years, he had constantly worked to attract investors, protect the environment, and maintain the delicate balance with the various forces. Now, he finally had some time to rest.Ethan looked at them calmly and said, “I’ll walk out myself.”The two officers frowned and moved forward to handcuff him. However, w
Ethan did not bother looking at them again and pulled out his phone instead. “Whether you call him or not makes no difference to me, but… whether I’m the one who calls him or you would make a significant difference for you.”The two officers gasped in shock. Just the comment he made carried more weight than the chef chewing them out for three hours straight!Seeing that Ethan was about to dial the chief’s number, they shouted in unison, “We’ll call him right away!”They then turned and bolted to find the chief, not daring to waste any time.A minute later, the police chief, Liam Yates, came rushing over. He felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Ethan sitting in the lobby.“Why is he here? He’s usually holed up in that villa. The last time he went out, he went to Crestwood alone and came out unharmed a few hours later. The entire town saw him off! Since then, Crestwood has been quiet and engaging in legitimate business!”The people in Crestwood were notorious for being tough
Due to it being located at the border, the situation there was extremely unstable, and deaths on the mountain would go unnoticed.Liam could not help but ask, “Why are you going there?”Ethan glanced at him. “I don’t need to explain my actions to you. I’m only informing you because I’m currently under suspicion.”Liam gulped. “I’ll go with you! It’s too dangerous there. You need someone to protect you.”The two officers behind had long since lost their words. Seeing the chief treating Ethan like that, they also started to wonder if they should beg for forgiveness. However, Ethan ignored them and simply headed straight for the door.Liam sighed in relief as he watched Ethan leave. As his mind cleared, a thought immediately crossed his mind.“Who reported him? Who would dare to report him? It must be someone from the governor’s side!“Is the governor getting rid of him after securing his re-election? This is bad. Ethan doesn’t need Riveria, but Riveria can’t be without Ethan! It’l
“Ethan has no talent. Riveria’s success is all thanks to my father!”The manager was stunned. Ethan had no talent? Riveria’s success was all thanks to George? He thought he had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.Everyone in Riveria knew that George had no concern for the province. It was all Ethan’s efforts. Without Ethan, Riveria would not be a province with a GDP of 15 trillion dollars. Instead, it would be a poverty-stricken place plagued by trouble!If not for the fact that Ethan was George’s future son-in-law, they would not have voted to re-elect George. Even the hotel, which was the largest in Riveria, was founded thanks to Ethan.The manager frowned and said, “That’s not right. We common folks know Ethan well. Ask anyone, and they’ll sing his praises!”George and Stephen’s expressions instantly darkened when they heard everyone would sing Ethan’s praises. That was not the news they wanted to hear, and they needed Ethan’s reputation to be thoroughly destroyed.“S
If Ethan was removed and the South Regent made a move again, would the cities at the borders survive?George and Stephen’s expressions were grim with anger when their plan was exposed.“Nonsense. Ethan is just an orphan with no skills. He even dropped out of high school. What contributions has he made?“On the other hand, Stephen is the son of the Quinns in the capital. Not only did he graduate from the top academy, but he also studied abroad for three years and gained exceptional skills. Ethan is nothing compared to Stephen!”Zane scoffed in disdain. “If he’s so amazing, the GDP of the capital should’ve long surpassed that of Riveria and become the top in the nation, right?”George was instantly silenced, and Stephen’s expression darkened further.“I only have one thing to say. Riveria when it’s managed by Ethan and when not are two completely different places. Ethan will have an easier life if he leaves Riveria, but without him, Riveria will crumble!”George slammed the table
As Liam took a closer look, he gasped in shock. The street was filled with cars, and beside each car stood two to three men in suits, standing tall!All of them were dressed in suits and ties, looking like they were there for a job interview. Liam and his men were so startled that their hands instinctively moved toward their guns.Just then… “Welcome, Lord Rivers!” They all spoke in unison, their voices booming in perfect harmony.Dumbfounded, Liam turned to look at Ethan with his men, wondering if those people were there to greet Ethan.Their eyes widened with disbelief, and they failed to wrap their head around the situation. Who exactly was Ethan to be able to summon so many people in that chaotic place?Ethan, however, merely glanced at them calmly. “The South Regent promised he wouldn’t cross the border. Is he going back on his word?”A young man in a red suit quickly stepped forward, dropping to his knee and lowering his head respectfully. “You’ve misunderstood, Lord Rive
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
"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
“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
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
“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
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
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
There were many things Ethan could say to refute that statement.For example, Lily was a young lady of a wealthy family, and her partner would be the heir of another wealthy family. No matter how much emotional pain they were in, they had more money and resources than most people could dream of. Life was not just about romance, and this was what people meant by crying over nothing. However, all Ethan said was, “What has that got to do with me?”Stephen thought about it and replied, “I can give you money.”Ethan said indifferently, “I have enough money as is.”Too many people had offered him money, and there was nothing he needed money for at the moment. He had long stopped worrying about cash.Stephen paled. Emotional appeals did not work, and neither did money. He had run out of ideas.He glanced at Lily beside him. “Go outside first.”Lily’s mind was a mess. Every word Ethan spoke hit her hard. It was her first time meeting Ethan, and she had no idea how to handle it.She n
Seeing Stephen so timid, Lily muttered in disappointment, “Steph…”Ethan could not be bothered to continue the conversation.“You can go now. I won’t help you.”Lily looked at Ethan, feeling resentful and disappointed. “People call you a clairvoyant, but you call Stephen a coward. In my eyes, you’re the real coward. You have the ability to help, but you choose to do nothing.”She was angry at Ethan’s unwillingness to help and his insult to Stephen. To her, there was nothing Stephen could not do. How could she allow him to be humiliated like that?However, the next second… “Shut up! Don’t be disrespectful to Ethan. Apologize to him now!” Stephen rebuked her.Lily froze, her eyes wide as she looked at Stephen with shock and disbelief. She defended him, and not only did he not help her, but he even scolded her and told her to apologize to Ethan.She could not believe it. Was he really the Stephen Quinn whom she knew?Stephen did not care what Lily was thinking. All he knew was t