LOGINShare
Chapter 748
Related chapters
The Guardian's Return Chapter 749
Simon watched everything unfold with a heavy heart. His son, who was once destined to be untouchable, someone others could only look up to in awe, had now become someone people could not even stand to look at without feeling disgusted. The intense contrast left Simon feeling dazed. After the hospital cleaned Stephen up, they called several specialists and professors to diagnose him. “How is he?” Simon quickly asked. “The situation isn’t too bad.” A specialist answered, “He’s suffering from over-exhaustion, hormonal imbalance, starvation, high fever, and slight malnutrition. In theory, with proper meals and a good rest, he should make a full recovery.”Simon heaved a sigh of relief. “But…” The specialist suddenly changed his tone. “What?” Simon’s heart immediately sank. “While his physical condition isn’t alarming, what we’re really concerned about is his mental state.” The specialist looked worried. “He was held in an enclosed space for a long time without human contac
The Guardian's Return Chapter 750
The team hurried to retrieve Hugo’s body. Considering Hugo’s close relationship with Stephen and well-known status as a psychologist, the people took the search seriously and mobilized a significant search force. The two villages along the way were alarmed. Everyone was curious about what was happening. A young girl rushed into a small house and called out to a man lying on the bed, “Sir! There are many people outside. Are they looking for you?”The man lying on the bed was Hugo. He struggled to sit up, looking a little pale, his face still swollen. His injuries had not fully recovered yet. Previously, he was thrown into the river, and the current washed him ashore, where the young girl and her grandfather saved him. Although his life was saved, his left arm was broken without any possibility of recovery. Becoming a cripple made Hugo spiral into despair. He was a psychologist, so he recognized the signs that his own mental state was deteriorating. However, knowing something wa
The Guardian's Return Chapter 751
“Mr. Wood, please come back with us. Stephen needs your help now.”Those words were painful for Hugo to hear. He already felt immense guilt for helping Stephen before, but they touched a sore spot and asked him to help Stephen again.“I’m not going. I can’t help him.”The staff was stunned. They had heard that Hugo had a good relationship with Stephen, but he was being so cold now.“Stephen really needs you.”Hugo took a deep breath and said, “I refuse. I can’t help him. I’m a cripple now, and my head was injured. I’ve lost my memory. I don’t know how to save anyone anymore!”Everyone was dumbfounded by his words.In fact, he was lying. He had not lost his memory. It was just an excuse he made up to avoid helping them.Since he lost his memory, the others were helpless and planned to take him back to the city for treatment. After all, his hands, legs, and head were wrapped with bandages.Hugo refused again. “I’m fine now.”The staff had no choice but to return empty-handed an
The Guardian's Return Chapter 752
When Simon first took interest in Riveria, he thought that if Stephen was sent here, the GDP would reach 20 trillion in just five years.However, after imprisoning Ethan, Riveria’s economy collapsed. Now, it was less than half of what it was before.Simon thought that it was Stephen’s fault because he was too young and lacked management experience. It was normal for him to make mistakes. Once Simon took over, everything would be fine.However, now that Stephen had broken down in a hospital bed and all the responsibilities fell on Simon, he realized that the problems in Riveria were never simple.In the past, Ethan solved everything alone, so they had the illusion that managing Riveria was easy and that anyone could do it.Now that Stephen was in a hospital bed and George was in prison, Simon felt isolated.With so many problems pressing down on him, he began to wonder if he could really manage Riveria well. He thought of Ethan again.“Riveria was even more chaotic before. How di
The Guardian's Return Chapter 753
Recently, the Quinn family had already spent over 10 billion. Although the Quinns were one of the largest families, they could not afford to spend like this.After hanging up the phone, Simon felt that spending money to get the photo deleted was humiliating.“I can’t let anyone find out about this or the family’s reputation will be completely ruined.”He felt that the issue of Stephen’s photo could be considered over and started to deal with the next matter.The most important thing now was to provide an explanation for him swearing on his life that there were no more terrorists. He had just made the promise when Stephen was kidnapped less than a month later. It was not just a challenge to him but a crisp slap across his face.Simon called a meeting and asked everyone to discuss how to handle this.At 10 p.m., the meeting room was filled with people.Simon’s expression was grave. “I’m sure you all know that Stephen was kidnapped.”Everyone exchanged looks, not understanding why
The Guardian's Return Chapter 754
Simon was also a little tempted. This solution was much more feasible and did not require money, but on second thought, it was the same as stubbornly refusing to admit the truth.After all, some dangerous individuals had escaped before the operation. If they came forward to speak out, it would only be pointless and even more humiliating if Simon denied it to the end.“No.” Simon said, “That won’t work either. Think of something else!”The group was feeling a bit upset now. It was already past midnight, and they had thought of two plans, but both were rejected.“How about tomorrow?”“No. Come up with a solution tonight.” Simon’s tone was resolute.They were not the ones affected, so they did not feel pressured. Simon felt so anxious that he could not eat or sleep, but these people only cared about going home to sleep!“Hurry up and think of something.”At 1 a.m., many people were struggling to stay awake. It was hard enough trying to stay awake, let alone come up with a solution
The Guardian's Return Chapter 755
When everyone heard that everything was a foreign conspiracy, they were furious.Adding to the previous ridicule from abroad, people immediately scolded them online.Even if the people abroad claimed that the incident had nothing to do with them, no one believed them. Everyone was sure that they were causing trouble.Many people also began to praise Stephen.“Stephen’s sacrifice and dedication are truly immense. He’s a true hero.”“People should make a movie about him!”“Stephen’s selflessness and fearlessness is something we should all learn from.”Simon looked at the messages and smiled for the first time in a while.The pressure on him these past few days had been enormous, making him feel like he could not breathe. Fortunately, everything was gradually being resolved now. Although not all the problems had been solved, at least he could rest for a while.He had not slept for a whole day and night. When he saw the public opinion about him and Stephen improving, he returned t
The Guardian's Return Chapter 756
“I’m a businessman,” said the South Regent.“I don’t have anything to sell to you,” said Hugo, “and I don’t know you, so you may leave now.”The South Regent was not in a hurry and said slowly, “Do you hate Stephen Quinn?”Hugo froze.Did he hate Stephen? He did. He had become a cripple because of Stephen, but more than that, he was angry. It was all Stephen’s fault that Breeze City became what it was now.“Why are you asking?” Hugo asked cautiously.“I have some dirt on Stephen,” said the South Regent. “With it, you can make Stephen pay the price.”From what the South Regent knew, Hugo was Stephen’s friend, and he had been captured because of Stephen. Thus, Stephen felt guilty toward Hugo.If Hugo wanted revenge on Stephen, it would hurt him psychologically far more than his physical wounds.Stephen was already in a fragile state. If he suffered betrayal as well, he definitely would not be able to handle it.Hugo understood now. “You want me to go against Stephen?”The Sout
Latest chapter
The Guardian's Return Chapter 814
Tyler frowned. “What happened?”“It’s about Riveria.” Nolan handed his phone to Tyler. “Simon and Stephen have completely lost all shame. I can’t believe they said something like this.”After reading the news, Tyler’s expression darkened. “Although I know they’re shameless, I still underestimated them.”In the past, they had slandered Ethan and stole his achievements. Now, after being exposed, they fabricated evidence and worked with headquarters to deceive the public.“Tyler, what should we do?” Nolan asked. “I can’t stand by while they slander Mr. Rivers like this.”Tyler said, “Let me think.”To them, Ethan was their savior. Without Ethan, the Spencers would never have made it out of Riveria alive. It was thanks to Ethan stepping in that they had a chance to start over.However, Simon was shamelessly going further to distort the truth and rewrite history. They could not watch this happen. The truth had to be exposed!A moment later, Tyler said in a low voice, “Let’s go to Ri
The Guardian's Return Chapter 813
The netizens had mostly been deceived by the internet trolls.When they saw Simon and headquarters both speaking out, they fully believed that Stephen was innocent and that everything was part of Leo and Ethan’s schemes. Even the few who had firmly believed in Ethan began to doubt themselves.Online, the uproar gradually died down. At that moment, Simon took the next step! He had someone publish the recording of the gala and instructed the trolls to guide the audience in revisiting the highlights.With that, both he and Stephen were completely safe.When people reviewed the gala recording, it also boosted Riveria’s popularity. It was killing multiple birds with one stone!Simon did not rest. Instead, he took the official statement and the trending discussions online and headed to the jail to meet Leo.“Has he confessed yet?” Simon asked the staff.After Leo was imprisoned, he had been questioned who the mastermind behind this was.“No. He keeps saying there’s no mastermind.”S
The Guardian's Return Chapter 812
“Yeah. I’m from Breeze City. If Stephen is driven away by all your insults, what are we supposed to do?”“All this is part of Ethan’s scheme. He’s deliberately trying to frame Stephen!”This was the next phase of their attack. They accused everyone of being too extreme and then created a victim narrative to gain sympathy. Finally, they flipped the story. Stephen was the pure-hearted and selfless one while Ethan was the true villain!While the internet was being flooded with manipulated narratives, Simon was not idle either. He felt that fabricating transaction records and hiring internet trolls alone was not enough. Ne needed more fabricated evidence.Thus, he had several people in Riveria publicly claim that Stephen had been the one managing Riveria all along.Ethan Rivers? Never heard of him!After a day of work, Simon was drenched in sweat. He felt his heart pound as if it might leap out of his throat.After all, he had not rested properly for days because of the gala. Furthe
The Guardian's Return Chapter 811
Simon stayed up all night thinking.The next morning, a little after 6 a.m., he called someone to forge records that Stephen had lived in Riveria before.At the gala, someone had questioned whether Stephen really was the Grand Marshal’s mentee. His response at that time was that Stephen had always lived in Riveria.Now, he had to fabricate those records as soon as possible and release them publicly. Protecting Stephen’s identity as ‘the Grand Marshal’s sole heir’ was extremely important. As long as that narrative was maintained, it would minimize suspicions from others.“But that’s not enough.”Simon continued to take action and hired internet trolls. Since he could not suppress the public’s interest, he personally intervened and made the trolls comment that Stephen was the one in charge of Riveria while Ethan was a corrupt criminal and that Leo was spewing nonsense!As soon as the money was paid, the trolls began their work.“You guys say that Ethan was the one in charge of Riv
The Guardian's Return Chapter 810
However, the event was quickly losing steam! Leo had shifted everyone’s attention away, and people were more curious about Ethan and Stephen’s true identities. The whole internet buzzed with discussions, and many were engaged in fierce arguments. Even if Simon tried to suppress the controversy, it was nearly impossible to stop it. Quite a few people were even starting to leave the event. Many planned to stay in Breeze City for a few days and tour the city, but after experiencing the incident, they no longer trusted Simon. Therefore, they changed their plans and decided to leave the next day!By the time the event ended at 1 a.m., the audience present had dropped to less than half of the original count. When Simon and Stephen took the stage and saw the half-empty seats, they felt dispirited. The celebrities and singers who attended the event could also barely manage a smile. They regretted coming. The scandal surrounding Stephen’s real identity could easily engulf them, and the l
The Guardian's Return Chapter 809
Stephen immediately raised his head and asked, “Where is she?”Simon fell silent. He had no idea where Lily was. Perhaps only Ethan would know her whereabouts, and he did not know how to answer Stephen. Stephen frowned as he waited for a response. “What’s wrong? Didn’t you say she’s alive? Why don’t you tell me where she is?”Simon took a deep breath. “It might not be the best time to tell you now.”He still tried to brush it off. “What do you mean?” Stephen was getting anxious. “Do you want me to get on my knees and beg you? Don’t you know how important she is to me?” Stephen pointed at his gray hair. “I want to see her again so badly.”As Simon lowered his head, looking conflicted, Stephen fell to his knees with a bam. “What are you doing?” Simon exclaimed and quickly pulled him up. At that point, he realized that he could not hide it anymore. He did not want to say that Ethan saved Lily, but only Ethan knew where she was now. Even if he wanted to lie, he could not. W
The Guardian's Return Chapter 808
“Everything we’ve worked hard on would go to waste, and the Quinn family would be plunged into endless doom. The federal government would cull us. Nobody would let us off.”The issue now was not as simple as stealing Ethan’s achievements and locking him up. They were unafraid to do it in the past because they thought Ethan was an incapable orphan without any backing. They figured he just got lucky. However, they were wrong. Ethan turned out to be the Grand Marshal’s only mentee and the head of the Ledger family’s chosen one. He was also the one who intimidated the South Regent into retreating and achieving peace for Riveria. Everyone in the province owed him their lives.Just the revelation of his identity and achievements would be more than they could handle, and there was a new problem. Under their management, Riveria had nothing but problems. The province was once the nation’s largest, boasting a 15 trillion GDP, but how much of it was left now? It had long since fallen to
The Guardian's Return Chapter 807
It happened all too suddenly. He had done everything he could to prevent this. He had made countless preparations, ensuring no criminals or illegal weapons could get in, and even arranged his own men to be the “lucky audience” chosen for the interactive session. Yet, he had not expected a celebrity of that level to speak out for Ethan. Simon racked his brains, trying to figure out how it all happened. However, how would he know that the celebrity had become famous thanks to Ethan? His mind buzzed, completely blank. He could only say, “We will investigate this matter. Everyone, please wait for our notice. For now, please continue to enjoy tonight’s show!”He handed the mic to the host and rushed off stage. The show had to go on. He had put too much effort into inviting celebrities and pouring money into security to have it go to waste like that.Unfortunately, people’s attention was not on the show anymore. Stephen, Simon, Riveria, and Ethan immediately started trending. The e
The Guardian's Return Chapter 806
However, the truth was that everything she went through had nothing to do with Ethan, while the hardships he had encountered were even more unbearable than hers. However, he always remained calm and was even willing to lend a hand. “I’m sorry.” Snow trembled, tears streaking across her face. There was so much she wanted to say, but she did not know where to start. She could only apologize repeatedly and wipe her tears away. Her heart was filled with resentment toward Stephen, who was no human at all! Lily also spoke, her voice shaking, “I can’t believe you were the author. And you’ve done so much!”She thought back to the first time they met and when she called Ethan petty. Now, she finally understood how generous Ethan was. He had sacrificed himself to protect everyone in Riveria, saved her life when she should have been dead, and helped her find a new meaning in life. Yet what about him? He was imprisoned in that desolate mountain alone. Lily thought about herself. As the
