Chapter 645 Amazing Acting Skills
The wedding was naturally a grand event since a daughter of the Clintons was getting married. Titans of every industry and those from distinguished families were all invited. In fact, the Clintons were the official hosts of the wedding banquet. Even though the Walker family had their objections, they had no choice but to swallow them in the face of the Clintons’ pressure.
Due to the fact that the Clintons were the main organizers, Stephanie asserted her authority by ordering the Walkers around. Her domineering behavior naturally caused much angst among them. In spite of that, no one dared to challenge her out of respect for the Clintons, causing her to smugly believe that all of them feared her.
When Stephanie was called away by the makeup artist to freshen up her makeup, Rachel wrinkled her pointy nose and whispered, “Mom, Stephanie is behaving in such an overbearing manner that it’s just immensely rude. Is she really fit to be a daughter-in-law of the Walker family? Considering Noah’s gentle character, wouldn’t he be bullied by that shrew after getting married?”
Isabella threw Rachel a contemptuous glance. All this while, she never had a good opinion of the latter and felt that Rachel was of no use to the Walker family. In fact, pretending to be demure was the only thing Rachel knew. In spite of that, the Walker family treasured her and protected her from the outside world. Being overprotective as if she was an innocent fool made Isabella quick to temper.
“Rachel, don’t forget that Stephanie is your future sister-in-law. How can you still be gossiping about her when she’s about to be married into the family? Don’t you want your brother to be happily married and have children? Even though Noah dotes on you, can’t you be less selfish for once?” Isabella sneered with her arms folded.
Infuriated, Rachel turned red in anger.
“Isabella, I just want the best for Noah too. I hope that he can marry a kind woman that actually loves him,” Rachel commented.
Snorting in response, Isabella doubted the sincerity of her sister’s words. Is she playing the victim card again? What a useless person she is, and no different from a coward.
Carol’s expression darkened. “Isabella, stop reprimanding your sister, for she is just concerned for the family. Stephanie has indeed gone overboard today, and I will need to put her in her place when she marries into our family. If she doesn’t know how to show any respect, how is she going to help Noah run the company?”
Isabella’s eyes flashed with disdain. Stephanie only knows how to enjoy herself and is clueless when it comes to doing work. In fact, given how spendthrift she is, she would definitely kick up a fuss when she realizes that the Walker family isn’t as rich as she thought. When the drama begins, I wouldn’t mind adding fuel to fire. By escalating the turmoil within the Walker family, I will have more opportunities to see Oscar. Mom, Dad, it’s every woman for herself, so please don’t blame me for my methods.
Meanwhile, Carol had no idea what was going through Isabella’s mind, as she was praying hard that the wedding would proceed without incident.
“Isabella, have you taken care of Noah’s girl? Make sure she doesn’t appear and cause any trouble,” Carol reminded with a frown.
Squirming her lips, she replied, “Mom, you know how much Noah doesn’t like me interacting with her, as if I would skin her alive. Instead, Rachel enjoys a better relationship with her, so why don’t you ask Rachel instead?”
Carol turned to Rachel and asked, “Rachel, do you know where Noah has hidden her?”
Rachel shook her head and replied, “It’s been a long time since I saw her, and I have no idea where Noah has settled her too.”
A grim expression descended upon Carol’s face. “Rachel, remember, Stephanie is your future sister-in-law. Therefore, you have to mind your speech to avoid unnecessary conflict. Even though we spoil you, you should still learn how to behave sensibly, all right?”
Rachel too wasn’t someone easy to read. Despite her easy going demeanor, she definitely wasn’t as naive as an ordinary girl. After all, she had been raised in a rich and prominent family.
Therefore, no one else but her knew what was truly going on in her mind.
“I understand, Mom,” Rachel replied obediently.
Isabella snorted as scorn flashed in her eyes.
The moment the wedding began, Carol adjusted her hair and instructed, “Let’s head out now. Since we’re the hosts today, we cannot allow the Clintons to steal the show.”
Isabella and Rachel nodded in unison.
The moment the trio stepped out, they saw the entire floor filled with guests. The men were in sharp suits and leather shoes, while the ladies were dressed to the nines in their gowns. With heavy makeup on, all of them simply looked stunning.
Meanwhile, Stephanie was wearing a white wedding dress as she held Noah’s hand. Together, they were chatting happily with the guests alongside Olivia and Owen.
“Francis, I’m glad that you and your wife could make it to my daughter’s wedding. Let me introduce you, this is Noah of Walker Group. Going forward, please give him your support. Or else, you will be hearing from me,” Olivia remarked gleefully.
“Olivia, you’re being too modest. With the Clinton family’s support, there’s no need for the Manly family to intervene at all. But since you have brought the matter up, I will definitely do my best to help. Nevertheless, I’ve recently heard that a Walker family had suffered a huge loss in one of their projects. Obviously, it might not be the same Walker family, as one who could become the son-in-law of the Clintons must be a cut above the rest,” Francis spoke candidly. Patting Noah on his back, he added, “Young man, you look like someone capable. However, you could use some exercise, as looking too gentle isn’t good.”
Unoffended by the comment, Olivia explained, “Noah, Mr. Manly used to be in the army when he was young. In fact, he was in the special forces by the time he retired and went into business. He’s extremely smart and has businesses based in Beshya and Saspiuburg. In Tayhaven, his investments largely revolve around building materials. Nonetheless, he is also a well-known figure in the IT industry. Therefore, if you need any help, feel free to reach out to him.”
Without a change in his expression, Noah broke into a gentle smile. “Mr. Manly, Mrs. Manly, it’s an honor to meet you.”
Francis replied, “Let’s dispense with the formalities, as I have watched Stephanie grow up. As long as you treat her well, I’ll definitely do my best to support you.”
Squirming her lips, Stephanie purred like a little girl, “Mr. Manly, you have been so busy that it has been years since I last saw you. Instead, the first thing you talk about is business. I get the feeling that you don’t care about me anymore.”
Widening his eyes, Francis burst into hearty laughter.
“Olivia, it seems that your girl is all grown up and has learned how to negotiate. Given how sharp her tongue is now, I don’t think I’m her match anymore.”
Olivia chuckled in response.
“By the way, where’s Oscar? Why isn’t he here?” Francis asked as he scanned the surroundings.
“Tony had a stomachache yesterday from overeating. Thus, they’ll probably join us a little later.” Just as Olivia spoke, Oscar, who was carrying Tony, walked over with Amelia.
Olivia beamed. “Speak of the devil.”
With a distant yet respectful tone, Oscar greeted, “Hello Mr. Manly, it’s a surprise to see you here. I thought that you were on a business trip overseas.”
Francis was attracted by how cute Tony looked. Upon hearing Oscar’s words, he threw an ungracious punch at him. “You rascal, just because I have been busy running my business over the last few years, you have grown daring enough to make jabs at me. If not for the wedding today, I would definitely take time out to spar with you and check whether your skills have deteriorated.”
“You’re most welcome to do that. In fact, I was hoping that you wouldn’t lose too badly to me.” Curling the corners of his lips, Oscar had learned how to banter.
“Since when did you learn to crack a joke at my expense?”
“Enough, both of you should stop messing around. With so many distinguished guests around, you shouldn’t embarrass yourselves,” Francis’ wife commented.
Laughing in response, Olivia instructed the wedding couple, “Noah, Stephanie, both of you should go on and entertain the other guests while I catch up with Mr. and Mrs. Manly.”
After acknowledging her with a nod, Noah led Stephanie to join the other guests for a toast.
After the Clinton and Manly families chatted happily for half an hour, all the guests were gradually seated while the groom and bride were standing on stage.
After the host was finished with his welcome speech, the wedding couple took their vows.
Staring into Stephanie’s eyes, Noah declared sincerely, “Stephanie, from the first time I saw you, I knew that you were different from every other girl. It was love at first sight given how gorgeous you were. Before meeting you, I never believed in such a thing and felt that it was an idea for fools. But after meeting you, I felt as if my being was finally complete…”
While Noah was affirming his love, Amelia, who was listening amongst the audience, couldn’t resist whispering, “Oscar, if not for the fact that I know his true colors, even I would have been taken in by his words. I think your sister has finally met a man who can tolerate her bad temper. When he puts on his act, no one can tell that he is pretending at all.”
In truth, Noah’s acting skill was the gold standard for every actor. Therefore, Amelia felt that everyone within the entertainment industry could take a leaf out of Noah’s book on how he could act so convincingly.
Furthermore, she couldn’t help but feel that he was a terrifying person for his ability to have women eating out of his hands. To her, a man who manipulated women with hypocrisy was the ultimate jerk.
Consequently, she felt that her relationship with Oscar was an honest one. Compared to how fake Noah was, Oscar was a true gentleman. Even though he was extremely crafty in the business world, the opposite was true when it came to their relationship. He was forthright with his feelings and never deceived her at all.
