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Chapter 735
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 736
“It’s food! Someone was here!”Stephen’s eyes instantly lit up. He was not abandoned, merely locked up. They were all watching him!“Come out! I’ll give you whatever you want as long as you let me out, be it money or women.”He was used to sleeping on the most luxurious beds. He had never slept on a wooden plank before. His entire body ached after last night. Stephen could not stand the thought of spending another second in this place.However, no matter how much he yelled, no one entered the room.Stephen looked at the food on the floor but did not have any appetite. He was the heir of a wealthy family and was used to meals crafted by nutritionists, top-tier chefs, and premium ingredients.Even the plates he was served on were elegant and exquisite.Who would dare to place his food on the ground? They were treating him like a dog!Stephen stood for a while, then grew tired and sat back down. When his bum began to hurt again, he stood up again. He felt so bored that he decided
The Guardian's Return Chapter 737
No matter how much Stephen shouted, there was no response from the door. He had lost track of time and did not know how long he had been trapped in the room or how long it had been since he had seen another living being.Now, he just wanted someone to talk to. Even if there was no one, he would be happy with a book.However, there was nothing at all.The room was stark white with only the wooden plank and straw being different colors. There was nothing that could divert his attention.It had been 24 hours since Stephen was captured. Outside the room, several people were watching him through the camera. They all felt satisfied when they saw his despair.“He destroyed our lives and ruined our families. Now, we can finally take our revenge.”“We can’t kill him, but we can make his life unbearable.”“He looks hilarious now. Did you record it?”“Don’t worry, we recorded everything. Even if he gets rescued, it won’t be over for him.”The next day, Stephen woke up with a splitting he
The Guardian's Return Chapter 738
Outside the room, everyone could hear Stephen’s voice, but no one cared.“It’s just 60 degrees. He won’t freeze.”“This is what he deserves!”“Lowering the temperature is just the beginning. Next, we’ll douse him with water!”Now, they were using hunger, isolation, bright lights, and cold to torment Stephen. They still had many more methods up their sleeves.Stephen felt it getting increasingly cold. He grabbed the straw on the floor, trying to use it as a makeshift blanket. He even picked up the straw that he used to wipe the wooden plank.However, it did not help. Unable to withstand it anymore, he stuffed the straw into his clothes. The straw itched and prickled his skin, but he did not care. He would freeze to death otherwise.Stephen also picked up the wooden plank and piled it on top of himself for additional insulation, then curled up into a ball. In this state of physical and mental exhaustion, he finally fell asleep again.After an unknown amount of time, he was woken
The Guardian's Return Chapter 739
Why was Stephen’s phone at a garbage plant?Simon immediately sent people to investigate, and they found Stephen and Hugo’s phones at the plant. However, there was nothing else related to the duo.“Where is he?” Simon did not understand. How did Stephen lose his phone? He had been missing for three days already.Simon ordered an investigation into where Stephen last appeared.A few minutes later, he got a report. Stephen was last seen driving to the outskirts with Hugo. After the car left the city, it disappeared without a trace.“They headed to the outskirts and disappeared...” A terrifying suspicion emerged in Simon’s mind.Stephen might already be in danger.“Search for him!” Simon’s expression was grim. “I want to see him, dead or alive!”Many people were sent out to search for Stephen on the outskirts. After two days of effort, they finally found a clue.“I saw this car in Emerald Springs.”Emerald Springs!Simon immediately brought a team to Emerald Springs and gathere
The Guardian's Return Chapter 740
They routed the video through various channels to ensure that its origins could not be traced. Finally, they released the video using a foreign IP address.Once it was uploaded, Victor and the South Regent, as well as other factions’ internet trolls immediately made it go viral. The trolls even began reposting the video within the country so everyone could watch it.[Stephen Quinn Captured and Suffering Torture!]The title alone caught the attention of countless viewers.By now, many people knew about Stephen’s disappearance. Many people in Breeze City were actively searching for him. When this video appeared at such a time with that caption, it immediately became a hot topic.The people who watched the video were stunned. Their expressions darkened, ranging from anger to disbelief, and outrage.“Stephen really was kidnapped! He’s even being tortured!”“He’s lost so much weight. They’re treating him like a stray dog.”“Is that really Stephen? Those criminals deserve to die.”“
The Guardian's Return Chapter 741
The reward for information about Stephen kept increasing. Anyone who provided useful leads would be compensated, and helping locate Stephen would earn them a million dollars. All of Riveria was abuzz with people searching for Stephen.Victor, the South Regent, and the other power players watched it all unfold without concern. Their influence matched the Quinns', and they possessed far more information than Simon did. Unless they chose to reveal themselves, Simon would not be able to find Stephen anytime soon.Every day Simon failed to find Stephen, the pressure on him mounted. Deploying armed forces was costly, and the citywide search for Stephen disrupted normal operations. Not only did the search drain finances, but it also damaged the economy. Adding to that were the people who lived in constant unease, as they directed their curses, accusations, and discontent at Simon daily.To top it all off, Simon was also worried about Stephen's safety. All those factors combined might pro
The Guardian's Return Chapter 742
The front door was open, so Simon strode in with his men to a brightly-lit living room.Ethan was sitting on the couch watching television when Simon approached him quickly and said, "Come with me."Ethan smiled faintly. "Using Stephen's life as leverage makes you quite confident."Simon frowned. "What do you mean?""If you can't understand even this much, no wonder it took you days to realize your son was missing," Ethan said calmly.Simon clenched his fists. "How do you know about this?"He had deliberately isolated Ethan on Drakthorn Ridge, cutting off all his contact with the outside world. Ethan should know nothing about Stephen's kidnapping."You've miscalculated many things," Ethan said.Simon took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "I need your help finding Stephen.""No," Ethan refused outright."Why not?" Simon's face darkened."I have eighteen reasons."Ethan spoke slowly. "You keeping me locked up here is the first. Stephen's hands are stained with blood—that's
The Guardian's Return Chapter 743
Simon's face turned ashen. What could he give Ethan? All Ethan wanted was for him to die. How could he possibly agree to that now?He glanced back at his men behind him. For a moment, he truly considered threatening Ethan's life, but Simon retained his last shred of rationality.Ethan had managed Riveria for years. Surely many had tried to kill him, yet here he sat. The results were obvious: threatening or killing Ethan would be extremely difficult.Ethan was not budging at all, and Simon was starting to feel lost, which he rarely felt. Yet, as head of the Quinn family, he felt helpless once again.Just then, Simon's phone rang. Seeing that it was a work call, Simon answered immediately. "Have you found him?""No," came the reply."Then what is it?" Simon was impatient."Sir, we just had a meeting. After thorough discussion, we've reached a conclusion." The caller took a deep breath before continuing, "Stephen is in grave danger.""What do you mean?" Simon asked immediately.
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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
