Stephen's office was festively decorated, with a banner hanging on the wall that read, "Seaside City GDP Breaks Two Trillion."After arresting Howard, taking over the leading enterprise, and subduing an entire entity, Stephen was filled with optimism about Seaside City's future. Seaside City’s economic outlook was undeniably bright.He was confident it would not be long before Seaside City's GDP actually broke two trillion. For that reason, Stephen was now rehearsing for that momentous moment, preparing for the day when Seaside City's GDP would reach that milestone.“Knock, knock.”At that moment, there was a knock on the door.Stephen, lounging in his chair, answered, "Come in."The door opened, and Rachel entered.Feigning confusion, Stephen asked, "Rachel? What brings you here?"Rachel smiled warmly. "I'm here to congratulate you.""Congratulate me for what?" Stephen continued to play dumb, despite knowing full well why she had come.Rachel's congratulations were part of t
Jimmy had experienced the chaos in Seaside City years ago and knew how bad it used to be. However, the current situation was ten times worse than what he had seen three years ago!People were acting like a pack of wild dogs that had been chained up for a decade and set free, running wild.Jimmy’s legs quaked as he made the phone call. The situation was so dire that he was even considering fleeing."Why aren't you saying anything?" Stephen noticed Jimmy's silence and asked, "Are you too excited to speak?""No!" Jimmy snapped back to reality, his voice panicked. "Seaside City is in trouble.""What?" Stephen frowned. "How could it be in trouble? What happened?"Stephen was breaking out in a cold sweat just hearing the words "in trouble."Jimmy frantically explained, "A large number of dangerous individuals have suddenly appeared in Seaside City. They're moving in groups, smashing up shops and looting everything in sight."Many of them even have guns. Now everyone is too afraid to
A few hours later, Stephen finally arrived at Seaside City and rushed out as soon as his plane landed. Jimmy was already waiting for him.Stephen jumped into the car and hurriedly asked, “Quick. Tell me what’s going on.”Jimmy replied, “I’m not sure either. The chaos started out of nowhere and without any warning. I have a feeling they’ve been planning this for a long time.”He was right. Dennis had been waiting for that day for three years. Even the smaller entities had started making their moves after Howard was arrested. They all sprang to action once Dennis gave the order. No one could stop them!“How could none of you have noticed if they’ve been plotting in secret for so long?” Stephen’s frustration boiled over, and he was close to losing his temper. “And you call yourself the mayor?”Jimmy fell silent. He genuinely had no idea.Howard had been too good at what he did. He was from the underworld, so he had men everywhere and was very well-informed.Anytime an entity or o
Jimmy went to Stephen and relayed the message. “The mayor of Crestwood, Dennis Lewis, says you can meet him, but you have to go to Crestwood yourself.”Stephen could not believe his ears. He was the son of a prominent family in Metropolis and was currently in charge of Riveria. Yet, some small-town mayor was demanding that he go to him?“Who does he think he is?”He usually would not give a mayor like Dennis the time of day, much less go out of his way to meet him.Jimmy next to him spoke cautiously, “Things are different now. Dennis might actually have useful information.”Stephen paused. If Dennis had the audacity to make this demand, he probably did know something important.Stephen took a deep breath and said, “Fine. I’ll go meet him.”Jimmy arranged for a fully armed team to ensure Stephen’s safety. With his security detail in tow, Stephen headed straight to Crestwood.Crestwood was so heavily guarded now that not even a fly could get in or out. However, Dennis had given t
Otherwise, Ethan might wash away the crime that was just pinned on him again.The internet was full of people criticizing him now. If he managed to clear his name again and reverse his identity, Stephen would not be able to bear the backlash!Dennis smiled silently, but that reaction only confirmed the truth that it really was Ethan!Stephen swayed, a little panicked that it was Ethan. However, he soon thought of a way.“Although Ethan contributed a little to the stability of Seaside City, the city is now in chaos again. If I can investigate the truth and resolve the chaos, then all the problems would be solved.”At that point, Stephen still thought that all Ethan had done was keep Crestwood in line. He had no clue about everything Ethan had done for Seaside City.Stephen looked over at Dennis and asked, “Who led Crestwood into the chaos in Seaside City three years ago?”“Me.”Stephen’s eyes widened in shock. That was the last answer he expected. The bodyguards he brought rea
“Get him!”Stephen shouted for his man to capture Dennis. However, the moment he spoke, he felt dizzy and weak.“Thud!”He collapsed awkwardly into a nearby chair, barely able to keep himself upright. All his bodyguards also fell to the ground, unable to move.A group of men then walked in from the courtyard, collected the guns from the bodyguards, dragged them away, and soon disappeared from sight.Stephen watched the scene in terror.“What did you do to us?” he demanded.Dennis glanced at the diffuser and said, “It’s just a simple trick. Actually, the antidote is in the tea I serve you, but it’s a shame you missed your chance. Maybe you’re just too stupid to realize.”Stephen felt like he was about to explode from sheer frustration.The tea was right in front of him the whole time, but he had no strength left in him now. All he could do now was stare at it, not drink it.Not long ago, Dennis had pushed the cup toward him, but he scoffed at the idea of drinking it. Now, it w
Stephen’s eyes widened.It was the first time learning about the story behind Seaside City’s three years of peace. It really was Ethan who brought peace to the city!Ethan’s support of Howard was not to foster a criminal but to boost the economy and suppress the lurking threats!“You might be wondering why Ethan chose Howard out of so many people,” Dennis continued to speak.“First, Howard has never killed anyone before. Second, at that time, only Howard and my names had enough weight to maintain order. Third, it was because Howard’s influence was powerful.”Stephen was stunned. The revelation that Howard had never killed anyone before was shocking.It meant Ethan did not pick anyone at random, and every step he took was carefully considered. Hence, all the accusations about Ethan harboring a criminal and Howard being a ruthless criminal were all false. What would happen to Stephen if the truth got out on the internet? Stephen could not bear to think about it. Dennis smiled i
Once Stephen was taken away, he instructed his subordinates to speed up.Stephen’s arrival meant that the news of Seaside City’s unrest had spread, so they did not have much time left. They had to act quickly and make money fast!Half a day later, Stephen was found in a pile of garbage on the side of the road by a passerby.When the mayor heard of it, he was horrified. He rushed to the hospital to see Stephen.As soon as he walked into the ward, he saw Stephen sitting on the hospital bed, his eyes hollow and devoid of any light.The mayor’s heart sank. How could Stephen have gone to Crestwood and returned alone, looking like that?“Sir?” The mayor stepped forward and asked, “Are you okay?”Stephen slowly came to his senses. The truth had been such a large blow that he still had not fully recovered from it yet.The mayor spoke again, “There’s something I need to report. Due to the situation in North Hill City, not many can come as reinforcements. We might not be able to stabiliz
Meanwhile…Rachel had pulled Stephen into their room.Unable to find any trace of Lily at the foot of the mountain, Jason felt that something was amiss. After asking around, he learned that no one was seen driving down. At this point, alarm bells started ringing in his head.He quickly led his men up to the summit where he found Lily."Lily!" Seeing her standing at the cliff's edge, his heart lurched, and he cried out, "Calm down! Get away from there!"Lily turned to look at him, her face already streaked with tears. She had wanted to see Stephen one last time but was unable to. Instead, it was Jason, her brother who wanted to drag her back, who found her."We can talk about the marriage. Just come here first.” Jason inched forward carefully. "Come to me. I'll make things right."Lily shook her head, knowing these were just lies to trick her. Once they got her back to the Fords, these words would mean nothing."Brother, don't lie to me," she responded. "I know that you’re only
Jason could not understand the conversation between Lily and Ethan, but he had not forgotten why he came here. He said to Lily, "Come back with me right now. Everyone's been looking for you since you ran away. Go home and apologize to Mom and Dad, and don't run off like this again. You're getting married in just over a month. Stay home and learn how to be a proper wife."Hearing this, Lily's heart grew heavier. She became more convinced that her gut feeling was correct."I'm not going," Lily said."Stop being ridiculous!" Jason grabbed her arm. "You're coming back with us right now. If the Katz family finds out you're running around like this, it won't be good for any of us. The Fords raised you for all these years. It's time for you to repay them."Lily's last hope died. She finally understood why the Fords were forcing her to marry into the Katz family—they had never seen her as a person. Just like in Cora and Scott's story, both she and Cora were merely bargaining chips for thei
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