Crying, Nicola stumbled forward on her short legs, heading in Noah's direction.

But she didn't get far. With a swift movement, Bennett reached over, scooped her up, and lifted her off the edge of the stage.

At that moment, the groom was kissing the bride, and with everyone's attention on the happy couple, very few people noticed the small interruption with Nicola.

The Whites saw their plan foiled and rushed forward to grab the child, but Bennett's bodyguards were faster, pinning them to the ground.

"Mr. Thompson, what should we do with them?" the head of security asked in a low voice.

"Lock them in a room upstairs for now. We'll deal with them after the wedding," Bennett replied coldly.

His men efficiently escorted the Whites out of the hall. Bennett, now holding Nicola, returned to his seat.

Nicola's eyes were still red, and she was crying softly.

Bennett, who was hopeless at comforting children, was overwhelmed by her tears and promptly handed her over to Yvonne.

Yvonne cradled Nicola in her arms and gave her a piece of candy from the table.

Nicola nibbled on the candy and soon quieted down.

"Did you come here with your mommy, Nicola?" Yvonne asked gently.

"I came with Mommy, Grandpa, and Grandma," Nicola answered in her child-like voice.

"Was it your mommy who told you to go on stage and find your daddy?" Yvonne continued.

Too young to realize she was being questioned, Nicola answered honestly while chewing her candy "Grandma told me to go find Daddy She said Daddy was going to marry a stepmom and wouldn't want Mommy and me anymore."

As she spoke, the memory of her grandmother's fierce expression seemed to return, and her little mouth trembled as if she were about to cry again.

Yvonne quickly gave her another piece of candy. "Your grandma was just joking with you," she soothed. "Your daddy will always be your daddy. He would never abandon you."

"Mhm," Nicola nodded emphatically.

Noah and his daughter had always been close. At her young age, Nicola didn't really understand the concept of stepmothers, and she instinctively believed that her father would never leave her.

"Is this Mr. Noah Thompson's daughter from his first marriage?" Mr. James Sr., sitting beside Yvonne, glanced at the child in her arms and guessed her identity. "Yes," Yvonne confirmed.

"The Whites are so clueless. Once they lose their connection to the Thompsons, their lives are going to get much harder," Mr. James Sr. sighed, shaking his head.

For years, the Whites had leveraged their ties to the Thompsons to act arrogantly, making many enemies Now that Noah and Karina were divorced, those who had previously tolerated them out of respect for the Thompsons would no longer hold back.

"It's not that the Whites are clueless, it's just that they blatantly favor their son. If it were their son, Kevin, marrying into a prominent family, you can bet his parents wouldn't dare sabotage him."

Yvonne's tone was sharp and sarcastic.

Mr. James Sr. was again left speechless. Upon reflection, he realized Yvonne had a point.

Seeing him silent, Yvonne added another jab. "Speaking of which, your wonderful son, upon hearing that Noah was divorced, actually suggested I help marry off your precious granddaughter to the Thompsons as well."

"He did what?" The elder Mr. James nearly choked, sputtering as he struggled to catch his breath.

It was unheard of for a major family to marry two of their daughters into the same family—it was a waste of resources. If the James family married both their granddaughter and great-granddaughter into the Thompson family, with the latter stepping in as Noah's second wife, they would look incredibly desperate and become a total laughingstock.