Mrs. White felt the Thompsons weren''t showing them respect, but respect was a two-way street.


    When Noah and Karina married, the Thompsons had provided a marital gift of twenty million. The Whites not only failed to provide a dowry but also kept the twenty million for themselves, iming they were ''saving it for Karina'' to prevent her from spending it recklessly.


    Now, for Noah''s marriage to Cynthia, the Thompsons had offered the same twenty million. The Scotts not only epted none of it but also provided Cynthia with a dowry of an equal amount.


    Noah registered the vi they had purchased as their marital home under Cynthia''s name, and the Scotts, in turn, gifted Cynthia a luxury car worth tens of millions.


    While the Scotts were known for being social climbers, they genuinely doted on their daughter. In marrying her off, they had practically emptied their own coffers.


    A woman''s influence within her new family often boiled down to the assets she brought to the table and the power of her maiden name.


    Karina had had an easy life for years, lucky to have a kind and reasonable mother- inw like Dana. But she hadn''t appreciated it and had let things escte to a divorce. Sooner orter, she woulde to regret it.


    "Mom, if we ruin the Thompsons'' wedding, they''ll never forgive us. We should just go back," Karina said timidly.


    Seeing Noah marry someone else while she was still reeling from their divorce was painful.


    But she knew her family''s standing. Challenging the Thompsons, the most powerful of Istra''s four great families, was a fool''s errand.


    "Are you an idiot? We aren''t confronting the Thompsons. That''s what Nic is for. If Noah''s own daughter causes a scene at his wedding, no one can me us."


    Mrs. White snapped at Karina before roughly pulling Nic in front of her.


    ет


    She tried to frighten the little girl, saying, "Your daddy doesn''t want you and your mommy anymore. He''s marrying a new wife, and you''re going to have a stepmother. Stepmothers will hit you, yell at you, and won''t even give you food to eat."


    Mrs. White pointed toward the crystal stage. "You go up there right now and tell your daddy not to marry that new woman. If he dares to, you threaten to die right in front of him, understand?"


    Nic was only a few years old and didn''t really understand what her grandmother was saying. She was more frightened by the vicious look on Mrs. White''s face.


    Her eyes filled with tears as she pursed her lips, refusing to speak.


    Seeing her silence, Mrs. White grew furious and pinched Nic''s arm hard.


    "I''m talking to you, are you deaf? You useless little brat. If you can''t even do this one simple thing, you won''t get any dinner!"


    Having been raised like a princess by Noah, Nic had never been struck. The


    sharp pain from the pinch made her burst into tears.


    "Nic!" Karina cried out, instantly rmed. "Mom, why did you pinch her?"


    She tried tofort Nic, but Mr. White blocked her. "Your mother was just trying to scare her, not really hurt her. We''re doing this for


    you. If Noah marries another woman and has another child, what will happen to you and Nic?"


    Mrs. White gave Nic a hard shove, pushing her toward the stage to find her father.


    Sobbing, Nic stumbled forward on her short legs, heading in Noah''s direction.