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Chapter 667
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 668
His question rubbed salt in Stephen’s wounds, and it hurt. “I’m not in the mood now, nor have I thought about it,” Stephen replied. “Why? Are you that busy?” Simon pressed. Stephen took a deep breath. “When Lily made her final call to me, I hung up on her because of Rachel.”Simon was stunned to hear that. He realized that the problem might be more severe than he expected. From now on, whenever Rachel wanted to sleep with Stephen, he would think of that missed call. That call he had once hung up impatiently would become the regret that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Simon wanted to say something but hesitated. After a while, he finally asked, “Do you still want to sleep with women?”“No,” Stephen said honestly. “It makes me want to throw up.”Simon’s expression turned ugly. The worst-case scenario still happened in the end. The overwhelming stress and trauma had caused Stephen to lose interest in women, and getting him to have a child with someone would be a
The Guardian's Return Chapter 669
To gain more benefits in Riveria, the Hugheses would never let things go smoothly for Stephen. If Stephen ended up handling the crisis successfully, it would be harder for them to intervene, let alone make a profit. Victor picked up his phone and made a call. “Find a suitable time to spread the word that Stephen apologized to the large and medium-sized companies who chose to leave while ignoring the small companies willing to stay. “The small companies aren’t his priority, and he doesn’t care whether they survive or not.”After that, he hung up. His reason was to stir discontent among the small businesses that chose to stay. With Breezy City’s current situation, even a few companies leaving would hugely impact the market and economy. Since most businesses had left, the farmlands were abandoned, and there was no funding to continue the development area. Now, Breeze City had almost no job opportunities. If not for the fact that many eyes were on Breeze City, Simon even wanted t
The Guardian's Return Chapter 670
As long as she got pregnant, her position would be secured, and she could gain a certain level of freedom, which would only benefit her immensely. However, Stephen was not up to it, and it left Rachel frustrated. If not for the overwhelming power the Quinns held, she would have secretly worked with another man behind everyone’s backs to get herself pregnant. The next morning, Stephen woke up before 7 a.m. His sleep quality had been terrible lately, and he went downstairs with heavy bags under his eyes. He hastily had breakfast prepared by the maids before leaving the house in a hurry. He did not forget the important mission he had today. He had summoned the people who bought houses in the development zone in batches, planning to explain the situation to these homeowners and discuss possible solutions. He specially chose a restaurant for the meeting and decorated it to reflect a calm atmosphere. At a little past ten, Stephen met the first batch of homeowners. Most of them were
The Guardian's Return Chapter 671
With that, they all had to silently put up with it and did as their bosses said. Some of the married couples were already on the verge of divorce.Although Stephen was in misery, they were in even more pain and suffering.When Stephen learned about their difficulties, he fell silent. He raised his head with reddened eyes. He thought that his life was hard enough, but it turned out that everyone else was living in far worse conditions.At that moment, he thought of Ethan.Three years ago, during a time when Riveria was even more chaotic and tragic, Ethan turned the tide and allowed everyone to live peacefully and happily.However, Stephen destroyed all of it. He felt utterly despicable.Someone said, “We’ll only accept a refund.”Stephen knew that there was no point in trying to persuade them anymore. The economy was struggling, and jobs were scarce. Even if he renovated their houses, they might not want them. At times like these, they would only have a sense of security if they
The Guardian's Return Chapter 672
“You won’t touch a single penny of the Quinns’ money!” Simon refused to compromise. To him, apologizing and paying compensation would ruin the family’s reputation, especially paying compensation to ordinary people. Having someone from the Quinns step up to talk to normal civilians was already an honor for them.Stephen said in a low voice, “Fine, I won’t touch it. I’ll come up with something myself.” Then, he turned and left, not wanting to say another word to Simon.“Stop!” Simon shouted after him, but Stephen did not listen. He had made up his mind and was convinced that compensation was the only solution. Continuing to cover things up, avoiding responsibility, or using the money from Breeze City to address the issue would not solve the root problem. Since it had all started with him, he should be the one to end it!Bam! Stephen returned to his room and slammed the door shut.Simon heard the door and clenched his fists. He could not understand why Stephen had become so uncontro
The Guardian's Return Chapter 673
The next morning, Stephen still did not receive any inquiries from buyers.When he arrived at his office building, a group of people immediately surrounded him at the entrance. Their faces were full of anticipation and nervousness as they asked, “When will we get our money back?”Stephen forced a smile. “Soon. Very soon.” Then, he hurried away.A whole day passed, but he had no money since the villas were still not sold. He did not know how to face the people’s hopefulness and did not even dare to meet their eyes.‘I hope the estates sell soon.’Feeling uneasy, he organized all the proof of purchase documents and calculated the total compensation needed. It was 5 billion.Stephen sighed in relief. Selling just one villa would be enough.However, there was still no news by evening, and Stephen grew anxious. It was almost two days by now. Nevertheless, he knew that there was no point worrying about it. He was completely helpless without the Quinns’ support.Another night passed,
The Guardian's Return Chapter 674
Stephen felt miserable. Although he knew that he had framed Ethan first and even imprisoned the latter in Drakthorn Ridge, he still asked, “Do you have no shred of compassion?”Ethan felt like he had just heard a joke. “You reaped the rewards, became the Grand Marshal’s mentee, married Rachel Lowe, and took over Riveria. You don’t need compassion. You’re just trying to shift the consequences of your incompetence onto me.”Stephen fell silent.“You long for love, and you long for someone to help you when you’re in trouble, but here’s the truth: to be loved is to be understood, and those who truly understood you and were willing to help you are all dead because of you.”Stephen’s body trembled.“The happiest time of your life is over. You can never go back. When the Quinn family helped you, there were many problems that you couldn’t solve. Now that they won’t help you, you’ll face even more challenges you can’t overcome. Your fate is already sealed. You can either die by trial or ta
The Guardian's Return Chapter 675
Stephen considered it for a moment. The fact that he had to wait so long for one potential buyer meant that the villas would not sell easily. Furthermore, he needed the money urgently.Although it was only 3 billion, it would at least resolve the immediate problem. He did not know how long he would have to wait if he missed this opportunity. He could not afford to let it slip away.“Okay,” Stephen said. “3 billion it is.”Victor smiled. He thought that Stephen would haggle a bit longer, but the latter unexpectedly agreed so quickly. It seemed he was indeed at the end of his rope.Stephen said, “I’ll head back to Metropolis now to complete the deal.”He had to be present due to the enormous sum involved. When he arrived at Metropolis at night, he immediately called Victor as soon as he got off the plane.Victor sent someone to finalize the deal with Stephen and successfully bought the villa worth 8 billion for only 3 billion dollars.“Thank you!” Stephen exclaimed in gratitude.
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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
