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Chapter 130
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The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 131
They had never met Ethan, yet he had orchestrated the deaths of eight people. Among the eight, five were forced to take their own lives, while the remaining three fled the country, severely injured. Even the CEOs lost contact with the three of them. It was as though they had vanished into thin air. No one could find them.However, just a few days later, the CEOs learned about their mysterious deaths. They were killed in another country, and their families had been wiped out. The group of bosses got so afraid that they ran, but no matter what, they could not accept their fates. With them dead, all their money and assets were transferred to a mysterious account. After that, Aqua City received huge funding to accelerate its development. That was when they knew Ethan was the person behind their mysterious and gruesome deaths. โThis is Ethan Rivers. Itโs best to expect the worst. One misstep and we will be joining the rest in hell.โ The one who spoke was Thomas Youngman, the owne
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 132
โIt shouldn't be a problem. Heโs not Ethan Rivers, after all.โ As long as Ethan was not their opponent, they were not afraid. Meanwhile, Stephen had just concluded the mapping out for the city. โLetโs call it a day. Iโll visit the marked sites tomorrow.โ The next day, he and the mayor visited the sites. Along the way, he was captivated by Aqua Cityโs stunning scenery, and it made him emotional. โThis place is beautiful.โ The mayor replied with a smile, โIt will only become more beautiful under your leadership.โ Pleased with the response, Stephen let out a hearty laugh. Soon, they arrived at the first siteโa residential area with a river flowing in the center. After surveying the place, Stephen said, โThis is the perfect place for some farms and bed-and-breakfasts. And if we build more hotels by the side, I bet theyโd be fully booked in no time.โ The mayorโs assistant wrote down every detail Stephen mentioned. After another round of inspection, they wrapped up the
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 133
โDonโt worry, Iโm not Ellen. She mustโve developed feelings for her target. That was why Ethan Rivers used her. I wonโt make such a stupid mistake,โ Snow said. Oliver was happy with the reply. He did not want one of his women to die on an assignment either. โI will arrange for your next meeting with Stephen. Now, you can satisfy me first.โ With that, the Mercedes drove off. Stephen and the mayor, on the other hand, went around the city and completed his mapping for future developments. The mayor then handed him a set of documents. โThese are the selected locations for the sports games. You can pick one out, and we will move the venue there.โ Stephen went through the list and chose a spacious location, one where multiple rivers intersected so that it could fit a massive stadium. The mayor took the document back and said, โVery well. Iโll tell the men to start working on it.โ The reconstruction of the new stadium must be carried out immediately as the event was only a m
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 134
While others criticized Stephen for his incompetence, the young woman before him defended him, despite not knowing his name yet. โThank you.โ Stephen thanked the girl in his heart. โLetโs forget about that. We actually havenโt introduced ourselves. Iโm Snow, and you are?โ the girl asked nervously. โStephen Quinn.โ Snow covered her mouth, feigning surprise.Stephen, finding her reaction amusing, said, โThank you for defending me.โ Snow snapped out of it and shook her head softly. โIโm just stating the truth. People say youโre evil, but I think theyโre wrong. Youโre quite handsome.โ She was good with her words, especially with a man. With just a few comments, she had Stephen on cloud nine. Snow and her fellow โsistersโ were trained to capture menโs hearts, and the best among them was her predecessor, Ellen. However, even Ellen died at Ethan's hands, and here was Stephen, already wrapped around Snowโs finger after just a couple of comments.โThanks again.โ Stephen like he
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 135
Stephen had thought about it during the planning phase. Although blocking the streams might disrupt the water flow and traffic and cause minor economic losses, the gains and profits surpassed the losses. โJust do as I say.โ However, the head contractor shook his head. โIt canโt be done. It really canโt. If you insist, you can find another company to take over.โ The man might take up the challenge if the stadium had to be completed within a year, but a month was ridiculous. He was afraid to take on the project because if anything went wrong, he might be charged or prosecuted. Stephen lowered his voice, saying. โLet me think about it.โ Only that particular construction company was capable of handling the job at the moment. If they dropped out, the construction progress would be disrupted. โAlright, but you better think it through. A decision like this canโt be made on impulse,โ the head contractor left Stephen with one last advice. After that, Stephen and the mayor left.
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 136
Stephen stood up. โCan you take me to meet your father now?โ โOf course,โ Snow said softly.She took her phone out and gave Oliver a call, informing him of the meeting, which he had been prepared for.Half an hour later, Stephen met Oliver in the private room of a restaurant. โYou must be Stephen Quinn,โ Oliver said, extending his hand to greet Stephen. โYouโre so young and talented. Youโre going to have a bright future ahead.โ Stephen shook his hand with a warm smile. โNice to meet you, Oliver.โ The two sat down, with Snow sitting quietly and obediently beside them. Oliver said, โIโve ordered for us. I hope you donโt mind.โ โIโm okay with anything. You donโt need to be so polite. You can call me Stephen.โ โStephen, it is.โ Oliver chuckled. โI didnโt expect Snow to know you.โ Stephen glanced at Snow who looked down and said with a smile, โMaybe this is fate.โ โHahaha! Fate is doing a great job! So, what brings us together today, Stephen?โ Oliver asked. Without was
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 137
โStephen, what do you think about Snow?โ Frightened, Snowโs hand trembled and accidentally spilled some wine on Stephenโs pants. โIโm so sorry!โ Snow grabbed a napkin, intending to wipe it off when Stephen said, โItโs okay.โ At the same time, he instinctively grabbed her hand, and when they touched, both of them froze. โWhatโs going on here?โ Oliverโs voice brought them back to reality. โSnow, youโre so careless! Where are your manners?โ Snow pulled her hand away, her head lowered. โI didnโt mean it.โ โYeah, itโs fine. She didnโt mean it,โ Stephen swiftly said. โWell, donโt just stand there. Thank him, Snow.โ โThank you, Stephen,โ Snow whispered an apology. Stephenโs heart raced as he stared at her.โStephen, back to my question, what do you think of Snow?โ โSnowโs a great girl,โ Stephen replied, suddenly pulling his gaze away from Snow. โHaha!โ Oliver burst out laughing while Snow quickly returned to her seat after filling Stephenโs wine glass.Stephen then
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 138
Stephen said, โYou guys can submit the paperwork tomorrow.โ The businessmen put on their best grateful faces and thanked Stephen for his kindness. โThank you! Thank you!โ โI canโt thank you enough!โ โHereโs to you!โ In reality, their thoughts were elsewhere, thinking it was way too easy. For three years, they had tried everything to get Ethan to grant them approvals to establish their factories in Aqua City. However, with Stephen, it took them less than a day. A few rounds of drinks later, Stephen started to get tipsy. Oliver said, โSince Snow didnโt drink, why not let her send you back?โ With that, Snow drove Stephen back to his suite at the hotel. When she was about to leave, he grabbed her hand and made her stay. The next morning, Stephen woke up sober and noticed Snow beside him, naked. Confused, he lifted the blanket, and seeing red on the sheets instantly made him sober up. He asked himself, did he sleep with Snow last night? As his mind raced, trying to p
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The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 920
After everything was settled, the people from HQ went to Ethan again. They apologized to him and begged for his forgiveness.โWeโve dealt with everyone involved in this matter. Are you satisfied with the outcome, Mr. Rivers?โWith that, they lowered their heads to the ground nervously. Their only hope now hinged on Ethanโs 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, โSend someone to help move my stuff down the mountain.โHearing that, everyone was first stunned, and then ecstatic.โOf course!โ 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, โWe respectfully
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 919
The day of Rachel and Georgeโs 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 judgeโs 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 Georgeโs faces paled to the point that they looked like corpses.The viewers in the livestream finally saw the full picture.โSo thatโs it! The Quinns and the Lowes conspired!โโThey deserve to die! How could they frame Ethan like that? Are they even human?โโThe death penalty! They deserve the death penalty!โThey 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 Returnย ย ย Chapter 918
They suppressed their disgust and returned home, only to see their parents and wivesโ panicked expressions.โWhat did you do out there?โโSo many people came today, asking for you by name.โHow 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.โItโs nothing,โ 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.โWhat have you done?โ Their parentsโ 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 Returnย ย ย 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.โHow could this be?โNo one expected this outcome. They thought, โSo what if I insulted him? Are they going to punish me for it? Besides, so many people are insulting him. They canโt possibly punish every single person who did it. At most, Iโll post a public apology and promise that Iโll never do it again.โHowever, 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.โWhy are they going this far? Arenโt they afraid of causing unrest?โOf 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 Returnย ย ย 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!โWhere else would she be?โ 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.โYou really have some nerve." The people from HQ sneered. โYou fooled us all completely.โโYouโve been hiding Ethanโs contributions all this time, havenโt you?โโYou two are nothing but disasters to this country! You deserve to die a thousand times over.โGeorge kept his head down while Rachel sobbed. โI was wrongfully accused!โโShut up! Are you still trying to fool us at a time like this? You were wrongfully accused? By who? Sim
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 915
They brought this on themselves, forcing themselves into a corner with no way out. โAh!โSimon could not take it anymore. He suddenly ran towards the window, trying to end his life. Fortunately, the officials quickly stopped him. โDonโt be reckless! Think about Stephen. Youโre all he has now!โThat sentence made Simon stop. Now, Stephen and Simon were each otherโs 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, โIโd like to file a report on someone.โTo 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. โShit!โ Someone exclaimed. โI heard Rachel bought a flight ticket overseas. Could she have fled?โThe room was filled with dread. If Rachel ra
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 914
Seeing that Stephen was awake, the others rushed to get the doctor. The doctor was astonished as well. Stephenโs sudden awakening was nothing short of a miracle. However, after examining him, the doctorโs expression darkened. Stephen had regained consciousness, but the prognosis was far from hopeful.โHe canโt move,โ the doctor said. โAs of now, heโs paralyzed.โStephen 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. โHe might never be able to leave the bed again.โUpon 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 Returnย ย ย 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 Simonโs 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 Returnย ย ย Chapter 912
Due to Harrisonโs previous incident, the officials reacted quickly by sending Stephen straight to the hospital.After an emergency rescue, Stephenโs life was saved. However, he paid a heavy price. When the doctor walked out of the emergency room, the officials asked, โHow is he?โโThe situation isnโt looking good,โ the doctor said grimly. โHis body is in a bad state, and due to long-term emotional distress, he suffered a brain hemorrhage from the emotional shock.โHeโs still in a coma, and we canโt say for sure when heโll wake up again. It depends on his will to live.โThe officials drew a sharp breath. โDo you mean he might end up in a coma forever?โThe 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 Harrisonโs desperate pleas to Ethan back in his villa. โIโm willing to trade my life fo
