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Chapter 681
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 682
"I’m aware of it, but using the word 'steal' is a bit extreme, isn’t it?" Simon said. After all, it was their money, to begin with. All they were doing was taking it back. How was that considered stealing?"What?" The government staff was shocked. "Extreme? This situation is way more serious than you think! People are constantly reporting Stephen. Some even suspect he's a foreign agent deliberately causing destruction. Get to the bottom of this immediately!"The call ended abruptly, leaving Simon wide-eyed."Is the situation that serious? Are they really questioning whether Stephen is on our side?"Simon immediately opened up the browser on his phone. Before he could even do a search, the numerous ads that appeared gave him his answer."Absolutely inhumane! Stephen Quinn steals the people's money!""Stephen Quinn has committed murder! So far, three families have committed suicide from the stress, and nine people are in critical condition!""No crime goes unpunished! Stephen Qu
The Guardian's Return Chapter 683
As a result of the interloper’s actions, people were now blaming him for stealing the money!Stephen took a deep breath. "I understand. Let me get ready."He had just woken up and had no idea what was happening, but based on past experience and the fact that the federal government was involved, he could tell the severity of the situation.Stephen checked his phone and saw the whole internet cursing him, with some people even taking their own lives. Seeing the suicide reports, his expression turned grim. Although he had known from the start that taking back the compensation money was wrong, the situation was even worse than he had imagined.Immediately, Stephen prepared an apology and called the reporters in for a live broadcast.After so many failures, he knew better. He knew some decisions were wrong, like the current situation with the compensation money. However, the order had come from Simon—his father, and Stephen could not oppose him.Now that things had gone wrong, he had
The Guardian's Return Chapter 684
Simon thought the issue would blow over quickly after the explanation.However, after the broadcast, the viewers’ anger grew. People from other cities who did not know much about Stephen's actions were now outraged too. What kind of explanation was that?"What do you mean it's not considered stealing because it was your money? Why did the people need to be compensated in the first place? Wasn't it because of you?""Let me ask you this. You caused everyone such huge losses, so isn't compensation the bare minimum? What right do you have to take it back?""I’ve never seen someone so shameless. It’s unbelievable."“He’s lost all sense!"If people from other cities were outraged, the locals of Breeze City were even more so.No one could believe that was Stephen's entire broadcast. Nothing they wanted to hear was included. There was no return of compensation, and the apology was not sincere.It was not a real apology; it was just going through the motions. His tone was beyond dismissi
The Guardian's Return Chapter 685
Stephen glanced at the crowd outside, feeling nervous. He could sense their hostility. If he could not provide a satisfactory explanation, he would have to watch his back whenever he was in public."Do you have any solutions?" Simon asked.Stephen thought for a moment. "At this point, we can only tell the truth. This has nothing to do with me. Let's say someone else did this to frame us."Simon considered it. Although that was not what he initially wanted, the situation was urgent. They had no choice but to go with Stephen's plan.He nodded. "Do it your way."Stephen breathed a sigh of relief.During the earlier broadcast, he felt uneasy, knowing things would go wrong. At least now he had control of the situation.Besides, it was not too late. If he explained everything honestly to the public, they would surely understand. They might even find out who tried to frame him!Stephen immediately called the reporters for a second apology.Soon, the livestream began. The number of au
The Guardian's Return Chapter 686
Even at that point, Stephen refused to take responsibility for his actions. Instead, he tried to shift the blame to others, yet he could not even name a scapegoat. It was pathetic. The people’s anger had reached the boiling point. “Does he take us all for fools?”“No wonder he has the guts to take our money. We’re nothing to him!”“How does someone like him worthy of managing Riveria?”“Stephen, go to hell! Bring back the previous leader of Riveria!”Everyone crowded at the door was cursing angrily, and even the security could not hold them back. The online backlash against Stephen was also growing more vicious by the minute. Seeing the crowd’s reaction left Simon and Stephen confused, especially Stephen. He thought he had told the truth, so why was everyone still so furious? Was he brushing them off? No, he did not. He had told them everything he knew, but why did no one believe him? Looking at the people outside, angry and about to break in, Stephen felt a little lost a
The Guardian's Return Chapter 687
Most people were just happy to get a bit of compensation, grateful even, but while Stephen was living a life beyond their dreams, he still had the nerve to take their money. After taking it, he had the audacity to insist it was not theft, claiming the money was his.He never considered that he was the one who ruined everyone’s lives and that he owed them the money. When the outrage became overwhelming, he came up with a new excuse, which was even more absurd than the last. This time, he claimed it was all a setup, that someone was framing him. Many people were so mad that they laughed instead. How could anyone say something like that with a straight face?It was so obvious he was lying, with no remorse or sincerity. He did not even bother finding a scapegoat to take the blame.Outside, the crowd was in an uproar. The security guards were all tackled to the ground, and even the cars were flipped over. The people smashed the doors crazily, and some had run off to break the windows
The Guardian's Return Chapter 688
His laughter was filled with helplessness and despair. He sounded like he was on the brink of an emotional breakdown. He had been trying so hard to make up for the mistakes of his past, doing his best to improve everyone’s lives, but now, it was all ruined because of Simon's stubbornness. Yet, Simon wanted him to shoulder the blame. “You should understand that there’s nothing you can do. You can’t change your fate, nor the fate of others around you. You thought you had everything, that you were invincible, but in fact, you have nothing, and you’re powerless to do anything.”Stephen heard a familiar voice. He looked behind Simon and saw Ethan sitting on a nearby sofa, drinking tea. “What’s wrong?” Simon frowned. Stephen’s laughter made him feel a little uneasy. Hearing Simon’s voice, Stephen snapped back to reality and looked at the sofa again, but there was no one. Ethan, and his voice, had been a hallucination. Stephen slightly lowered his head and clenched his fists tigh
The Guardian's Return Chapter 689
However, at that point, there was nothing Stephen could do, even though he was the heir of the Quinn family. He had to return to the Metropolis to lay low. “Get ready. You’ll leave tomorrow.” Simon wanted to send him away as soon as possible not because he was truly concerned about Stephen, but because Stephen had just taken the blame for him. With Stephen under attack from various parties and having to face punishment from the federal government, Simon worried that he might crack under pressure and reveal the truth. That was why he wanted to send Stephen home immediately and have him under strict supervision to prevent him from speaking out. “I know.”The moment Stephen stood up, a phrase randomly flashed through his mind. ‘All is predestined; man has no control.’No matter his status or wealth, he was still powerless against some things. Due to that, the greater the fall, the harder it was for him to accept it.Quietly, Stephen returned to his room to pack up. Meanwhile,
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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
