Chapter 462 Alistair's Attitude
Facing Wylie's confrontation, James exhibited no change in expression and remained remarkably composed. Unlike his previous overbearing demeanor, he neither appeared domineering nor submissive. Instead, he now exuded an air of mountainous stability and oceanic depth, making him unfathomable.
The more James acted this way, the more it ruffledWylie's feathers.
This time, Wylie had returned with the intention of crushing James and announcing his own rise to power, but James, like a rock, didn't give him the chance.
No matter what, James was still his cousin. If James curled up like a hedgehog, Wylie wouldn't be able to do anything to him for the time being.
With Wylie backing her up, Caroline immediately became arrogant again. "What did I do? It was clearly Erin who bumped into me first. Many of the servants saw it! James, how dare you, as a junior, hit me? It's so rude!"
Saxon, who had been silent, spoke up. He suddenly slapped the table and glared at Caroline, shouting, "Caroline, watch your words!"
Saxon's anger made the already tense atmosphere even more strained.
The few servants in the room were immediately scared and trembling, feeling as if they were in the eye of a storm.
At this moment, footsteps were heard from outside the door, followed by a shout, "The head of the family is back!"
Alistair had returned.
In an instant, Caroline immediately regained her composed demeanor, a hint of fear flashing in her eyes. In the entire Smith family, the person she feared the most was the head of the family, Alistair.
Wylie also immediately sat up straight upon hearing this.
Saxon stood up and said to James, "Alistair is back. Let's go greet him."
"Okay." James's eyes showed a hint of complexity as he nodded and walked towards the door.
Wylie's eyes flickered, and he also stepped over to greet Alistair.
Not just them, but the servants also lined up in two rows to respectfully welcome Alistair.
The Smith family was a century-old family with many members and strict rules, still maintaining the clear class distinctions of the old society.
Soon, Alistair walked in, followed by nearly ten followers, all elites of the Smith family and elders to James.
James's eyes were fixed on Alistair. After not seeing him for several years, Alistair had more white hair, his back was more hunched, and he looked much older.
James's gaze remained fixed on Alistair. After several years apart, Alistair had noticeably more gray hair, a more stooped posture, and an overall appearance of increased aging.
"Alistair." James took a step forward and respectfully called out.
Alistair's originally stern expression softened a bit upon hearing this, showing some comfort and excitement. He nodded and, maintaining a calm demeanor, said, "You're back."
"Yeah, I'm back." James replied, sounding calm. Only he knew how much sadness and hardship were hidden beneath those words.
Once a person of such flamboyant dominance, marriage had effectively worn down his sharp edges! Even now, as James recalled those times, he felt a lingering sense of dread. The bitter humiliation of enduring what seemed to be an undeserved submission, despite his potential to reign supreme, brought a shudder to his heart day after day.
If it weren't for his strong will, he didn't know how many times he would have gone mad.
In fact, Alistair's approach proved to be correct. James's character had indeed been tempered, but the cost was steep.
However, if asked whether he regretted it, James truly did not. Although the past five years had been humiliating, overall, James had found some things he had never had before and could never have had, such as Jennifer.
Wylie also respectfully called out to Alistair, who nodded slightly and then entered.
After James and the many elders exchanged pleasantries, everyone began to have dinner.
Everyone wanted to know where James had been, what he had done, why he had left without a word, and why he had returned without warning. These were all things the Smith family members, including Wylie, were concerned about.
But Alistair didn't say anything, and they wisely didn't ask.
"Come, James, sit next to me." After sitting down, Alistair waved to James, indicating for him to sit beside him.
With this, Wylie's face instantly changed, looking very displeased. Because that seat used to be his.
The Smith family had strict class distinctions, and everyone's seat at the table was fixed, with no room for deviation.
As the head of the family, Alistair naturally sat at the head of the table, and the seats to his left and right were reserved for important family members. Even Saxon and Trevor were not qualified to sit there.
During the five years of James's absence, those two seats were occupied by Wylie and Usher. Now, Alistair had directly seated James in what should have been Wylie's chair. This was not a good omen!
So it wasn't just Wylie; even the other Smith family members' expressions became very subtle.
Caroline's face turned very unpleasant.
James naturally didn't refuse, as that seat had originally been his.
"Okay, Alistair." James responded.
Next, everyone waited to see if Alistair would let Wylie sit on the other side.
Wylie also kept his emotions in check, looking expectantly at Alistair.
Fortunately, Alistair didn't show favoritism. "Wylie, you sit next to me, too."
"Ok!" Wylie finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, he still felt somewhat unhappy. In Sunlandia, the left side has always been held in higher esteem. By placing James on the left and himself on the right, Alistair had subtly elevated James's status above his own.
It seemed Alistair still favored James.
Many Smith family members also received this message.
After Alistair, James, and Wylie sat down, the others could sit.
The atmosphere during this meal was very solemn, lacking the warmth and lightness one might expect from a family gathering. James's return, which should have been a happy event, didn't elicit much enthusiasm from anyone.
Caroline had always wanted to lodge a complaint with Alistair, but Trevor's warning glances held her back, forcing her to endure the discomfort in silence.
At this moment, Alistair suddenly said to Wylie, "Wylie, tomorrow you should transfer the Serenity Haven Hotel to James. Now that James is back, he can help you with some of the work pressure."
With this, everyone perked up their ears as their expressions becoming subtly different.
Wylie's face changed directly, his heart racing. A surge of anger and resentment rose within him. 'Why should James receive your favor? I've been so excellent, and yet I still have to assist him!'
"Alistair, I don't feel any pressure. Besides, James just returned; he should rest for a while." Wylie said, forcing a smile.
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