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Chapter 97
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 98
Now that Howard was here, Stephen could not contain his excitement. He immediately handed Howard back the company and underground forces that had once belonged to him.Stephen continued, “If you start working for me, I can clear your name from these charges.”For Stephen, clearing Howard’s name was not a difficult task. Plus, Howard was wrongfully accused from the start. He was never guilty of murder, a fact even the mayor of Crestwood, Dennis, had personally admitted. If even the enemy acknowledged it, how could it be false?Howard nodded slightly, a small smile forming at the corner of his mouth, though Stephen did not notice.When Ethan told him to leave Riveria, he had thought of a plan. If he left with nothing but the clothes on his back, he would surely be miserable in the future.He had to reclaim everything he once owned and more!“Thank you, sir.” Howard said, “I’ll go to Seaside City now and assess the situation.”Although Stephen had returned his company and forces,
The Guardian's Return Chapter 99
“It’s settled, then!”Everyone unanimously approved of Simon’s plan. While the plan could not solve all the problems, it could resolve most of them, and that was enough.Half a day later, news that Howard had always been protecting Seaside City spread.“Howard was arrested and charged with various crimes, but it was all part of a plan to lure out the lurking threat in Seaside City. In fact, he’s always been defending Seaside City’s peace.”The moment the news broke, the internet exploded! No one had expected that to be the truth. Not only was Howard not a criminal, but he had been protecting Seaside City. In fact, he was willing to lure out the evil forces in the city to secure its peace even at the cost of his own reputation.“I didn’t expect the plan to be like that. Howard is truly incredible. I’m going to cry.”“I owe Howard an apology!”“He put himself on the line and defied all odds. Howard’s sacrifice is immense. I’m literally in tears.”“I feel so ashamed thinking bac
The Guardian's Return Chapter 100
He did not even bother when it came to forces like Crestwood. As long as he took down a few small gangs, he could proceed with the next part of his plan.Although Stephen had given him some guns, ammunition, and a decent amount of money, it was not enough. He needed to swindle even more weapons and money from Stephen. Once he had everything he needed, he would take all the money and weapons, flee Riveria, and head overseas! After that, he would not have to worry about Seaside City again and could live a peaceful life abroad for the rest of his days.The next day, thanks to Howard, things were indeed starting to settle down in Seaside City.Stephen saw that and nodded in satisfaction.“Howard is doing a good job. It seems it wasn’t Ethan who brought peace to Seaside City, but rather him relying on Howard to maintain it. The real capable one is Howard. If we can hold out for another day, the main reinforcements will arrive tomorrow, and everything will be resolved.”Stephen finall
The Guardian's Return Chapter 101
Without Dennis and Howard keeping things in check, Seaside City had become even more chaotic, with all the entities and organizations in Seaside City leaderless. At the same time, Stephen was enjoying a gourmet meal in his office. He had been under a lot of stress lately and felt like it had been a while since he had something nice to eat. Now that Howard, his trusted right-hand man was handling most of the difficult matters, he finally had the time to relax and indulge himself. Anything stressful or complicated he just handed it off to Howard. “Boom!”Suddenly, a loud explosion went off, and the entire building trembled for a moment. Stephen’s tea and fruits fell off the table, making a mess on the floor. The piercing sound of the alarm then filled the air, followed by several security guards rushing into the office and dragging Stephen to the corner of the room. “What’s going on?” Stephen asked, still trying to wrap his head around the situation. “Someone just attacked t
The Guardian's Return Chapter 102
Stephen had cleared Howard of his crimes and given him countless benefits. Was that how Howard repaid him? Even Dennis, who once tossed him into the trash, did not end up in his custody either. Meanwhile, Seaside City was still in chaos, and the GDP was plummeting by the second. Just as Stephen was still trying to figure out what to do next, a voice interrupted his thoughts.“Sir, this is bad! Howard Green sold the company to a foreign country! We just lost our biggest company! Every business is leaving, and the city’s GDP has plummeted to 1.3 trillion!” Stephen stood there, stunned, trying to process the fact that the businesses were gone and the city’s GDP had fallen to 1.3 trillion.Despite the mess Seaside City was in, Stephen still held hope for it for two main reasons. One was because Howard was still with him, and he could control the city from the shadows. Another was that Howard’s business was still around, so even if the city’s economy and market plummeted, it could r
The Guardian's Return Chapter 103
“Impossible!” Simon shouted immediately. “So what if we wrongfully accused him, slapped him with a bunch of charges, and threw him in prison? It’s nothing serious, he’s not dead. Why would he hate us on that? “Is that such a big deal?” he continued. “He’s not dead. How could he possibly hold a grudge over something like that?“Besides, we cleared his name and made him a hero. He should be thanking us, shouldn’t he?” Simon said. Then, he turned to Stephen and asked, “I thought you said you had him under control, that he couldn’t escape your grasp?” Stephen stammered nervously, “I don’t know. Why would he abandon Ethan and run?” All along, he had believed he truly had control over Howard, but it was clear he had been played. From the start, Howard had tricked him without him even noticing. Simon cursed in frustration, “I never thought Howard Green would turn out to be such an ungrateful man! No, calling him 'ungrateful' doesn’t even begin to describe it. He’s a traitor, a back
The Guardian's Return Chapter 104
How would they face the public now? If news got out, they would become the biggest laughing stock online. Everyone hoped for it to be false news because it should never have happened in the first place.Simon sighed and said, “It’s real.” “Slam!”Someone slammed the table and bellowed, “Damn it! Howard Green, that fucking bastard! He lied to us all!” Everyone else was silenced by the news. Howard was ruthless, and it somehow left them at a loss of action. Simon spoke up, “That’s enough. We need to start thinking of a solution first. We cannot drag this out. We have to explain this to the public as soon as possible. If they found out about the problem themselves, things would only get worse.” Everyone wore a bitter look on their faces. Simon had asked for a solution, but none of them had any. In order to solve the problem, the fastest and easiest way would be to arrest Howard and execute him. However, the man had left the country with money, firearms, and manpower. It wo
The Guardian's Return Chapter 105
“In that case, it’s decided.” The next day, Simon gave Stephen a call. “Stephen, visit Ethan. We have to speak to him directly.” The people who had proposed seeking Ethan’s help during yesterday’s meeting gathered once more, waiting for a chance to speak with him. Stephen quickly drove to Drakthorn Ridge Mansion. As soon as he got out of the car, the doors were opened, and he strode inside to see Ethan reading a book on the couch. He frowned. Ethan looked extremely calm, as if he had been anticipating Stephen’s arrival. “Ethan Rivers!” Stephen strode over, saying, “The federal government demands a meeting with him!” Ethan put down his book while Stephen set up the video call. Several men appeared on the screen, all of them looking intimidating and stern. No ordinary man could look them in the eyes without flinching, yet Ethan looked at all of them, unfazed. He asked, “What is this about?” It was the first time the men in the meeting room had seen Ethan in person. Th
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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
