The ceremony had not yet started, as the bride and groom were still at the entrance greeting guests.


    The banquet hall was already about three-quarters full.


    As Yvonne was idly looking around, she saw Teresa and Jeffrey arriving with Mr. James Sr.


    “Frank,” Mr. James Sr. said, walking over and greeting Mr. Thompson Sr. first.


    “James,” Mr. Thompson Sr. replied with a smile. Although the two families weren''t close, they maintained the necessary courtesies.


    "Mr. Thompson Sr., you look as robust as ever,” Teresa said with a smile, holding her father''s arm.


    "Just a bag of old bones," Mr. Thompson Sr. said, waving his hand dismissively.


    After exchanging pleasantries with the Thompsons, the James family turned to greet the Scotts.


    Mr. and Mrs. Scott were exceedingly respectful toward the James family.


    Though the James family''s influence had waned, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. They still held a firm position as one of Istra''s four great families.


    As long as Mr. James Sr. was alive, the family''s foundation was secure, and they were far beyond what the Scott family couldpare to.


    "We are so honored that you would grace the wedding of our children with your presence, Mr. James Sr.," Mrs. Scott said with a beaming smile, immediately instructing the staff to add a seat for him at the head table.


    The James family had been on the guest list, but no one expected the patriarch himself to attend. Normally, for a wedding of this generation, Teresa''s presence would have been more than enough.


    Given Mr. James Sr.''s seniority and status, now that he was here, he had to be seated at the VIP table.


    But Mr. James Sr. waved his hand. "I''m perfectly fine at that other table. Being with the young ones and sharing augh makes an old man like me feel young again. We''re all family now, no need for such formalities."


    When Mr. James Sr. mentioned they were "all family," Mr. Scott was visibly taken aback.


    The Scott family had no familial ties with the James family. And they had never heard of any connection between the James and Thompson families either.


    While Mr. and Mrs. Scott were still confused, Teresa had already called out to Yvonne with a smile.


    "Yvonne, your grandfather is asking if you''d like toe sit with us," Teresa said, then exined to the others. "This daughter of mine is so restless she must be feelin e must be feeling cooped up at a table full of elders."


    Teresa''s yful teasing drew chuckles from the others.


    Mr. and Mrs. Scottughed along, though their smiles were incredibly awkward. Yvonne''s rtionship with the James family was known to be distant so they rarely interacted. Having just returned from abroad, the Scotts had assumed Yvonne was just an actress who had married into the Thompson family. famMys on her looks alone. They never imagined she was the


    granddaughter of the James family, with powerful backing of her own.


    "Yvonne is young and may be a bit thoughtless at times. She''ll have to rely on your Cynthia, as her older sister-inw, to guide her in the future," Teresa said, taking Mrs. Scott''s hand with a warm smile.


    Teresa may not have been the sharpest, but having grown up in high society, she knew exactly how to handle such asions.


    Mrs. Scott nodded in agreement, her smile frozen on her face.


    Yvonne understood that the James family hade to back her up, and she


    couldn''t refuse their gesture. She stood up, walked over to Teresa, and naturally linked her arm with her mother''s.


    "Grandfather, Dad, Mom, I''m going to sit with Grandpa James for a bit," Yvonne said to Mr. Thompson Sr. and the others.


    She did, in fact, feel awkward sitting at a table full of elders.


    Mr. Thompson Sr. nodded, unconcerned.


    "Grandfather, I''ll go over for a while too," Bet said, also rising from his seat.


    The James family was, after all, Yvonne''s side of the family. Since the two families rarely interacted, was only nat for Bet to go


    and pay his respects to his inws The Thompsons had no reason to


    object.


    Mr. Thompson Sr. waved them off and resumed his conversation with the Scotts.


    After all, today was Noah and Cynthia''s wedding, and they were the main characters.