Chapter 129: Wedding (3)

"Good morning, Ethan," He said with a polite nod.

Ethan replied with a smile. "Good morning, Uncle Richard."

Helen smiled at him as well. "It’s good to see you, Ethan. I hope the journey wasn’t too tiring."

"It was fine, Aunt Helen. We arrived without any problems."

"That’s good."

Their responses were courteous, but Ethan noticed the subtle difference between how they greeted him and how they interacted with Jason and Maria. Richard’s embrace with his brother had been warm and familiar, and Helen had greeted her sister with obvious affection. With Ethan, however, they maintained a certain distance.

It wasn’t hostile, nor was it particularly surprising.

Ethan knew enough about his former self to understand why his uncle and aunt might be cautious around him. The original Ethan had given the family plenty of reasons to worry, and it would have been unrealistic to expect everyone to forget those memories simply because he had begun behaving differently.

’Fair enough. I can’t expect them to change their opinions overnight.’

He wasn’t offended. If anything, he preferred that they judge him based on what they had experienced rather than pretend they trusted him when they didn’t.

Still, their conversation soon took an interesting turn.

Richard asked Evelyn how her business was progressing, and she answered modestly, explaining that things had been going well lately. Helen listened with interest, asking a few questions about the shop and the new juice business.

Ethan remained beside his wife, occasionally adding a comment when necessary. When Richard asked whether Ethan had been helping her, Evelyn smiled and nodded.

"Yes. He’s been helping me quite a lot, actually. I don’t think I could have managed everything so smoothly without him."

Richard looked at Ethan with a faintly surprised expression.

"Really?" He asked. "That’s good to hear."

His tone remained polite, but the brief pause that followed suggested he hadn’t expected such an answer. Helen also glanced at Ethan, studying him for a moment before turning back to Evelyn.

"Well, it’s nice that you’re supporting each other," She remarked. "Running a business isn’t easy, especially when you’re trying to expand."

Ethan nodded. "That’s true. We’ve had our share of challenges, but things are improving."

Richard regarded him quietly. There was something different about his nephew now. The old Ethan had been impulsive, troublesome, and rarely interested in anything that didn’t benefit him immediately. He had often acted without considering the consequences, leaving other people to deal with the mess afterward.

Yet the young man standing before him seemed composed. He spoke calmly, listened when others were talking, and didn’t appear interested in provoking anyone.

Even the way he carried himself was different.

Richard couldn’t tell whether the change was temporary or whether Ethan had genuinely grown up, but he couldn’t deny what he was seeing.

’Perhaps he’s finally decided to act his age.’

Helen seemed to share some of his surprise, although neither of them voiced their thoughts. They continued talking with the group, and the atmosphere gradually became more relaxed.

It was during this conversation that another man approached them.

He was middle-aged, dressed in a well-tailored suit, and carried himself with the quiet confidence of someone accustomed to dealing with important people. His expression was composed as he greeted Richard, who immediately turned toward the others.

"Ah, Jason, Maria, allow me to introduce you to Karim El Mansouri, Yasmine’s father."

Karim smiled politely and offered his hand. "It’s a pleasure to meet you."

Jason shook his hand first, followed by Maria. Richard then introduced Evelyn and Nora, who greeted the man respectfully.

When it was Ethan’s turn, he stepped forward and shook Karim’s hand.

"Ethan Hale. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. El Mansouri."

"The pleasure is mine," Karim replied with a courteous smile.

Ethan studied him briefly as they exchanged greetings.

’Karim El Mansouri...’

The name didn’t ring any bells, and neither did the man’s face. Given that Karim was a businessman with a major company operating abroad, Ethan had expected there might be some chance of recognizing him from his previous life as Victor Caldwell.

However, the business world was enormous, and even someone with Victor’s experience couldn’t possibly know every influential businessman personally.

’Perhaps our businesses never crossed paths. Or his company simply wasn’t operating in the same circles as mine.’

Either way, there was no reason to pretend otherwise. Ethan had no recollection of the man, so he treated him as a new acquaintance.

Karim, meanwhile, regarded Ethan with polite interest. He didn’t ask anything particularly intrusive, limiting their exchange to a few ordinary questions about the journey and the family. Ethan answered naturally, without boasting about his business or trying to make himself appear more impressive than he was.

After a short conversation, another guest approached Karim, prompting him to excuse himself.

"Please excuse me. I should greet the other guests before the ceremony begins."

Richard nodded. "Of course. We’ll speak again later."

Karim offered a final polite smile before moving away to attend to the other guests.

Ethan watched him leave for a moment, then turned toward his father, who was already discussing the arrangements with Richard.

Jason soon glanced at his son. "So, how was the journey? You didn’t encounter any trouble on the highway, did you?"

"Nothing worth mentioning," Ethan replied. "The roads were fine, and we arrived without any problems."

"Good. I told you to leave early enough, didn’t I?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "And I listened, didn’t I, old man?"

Jason’s expression tightened. "You could have answered without calling me that."

"But then the conversation wouldn’t be as interesting."

Maria chuckled beside them, while Richard shook his head with amusement.

"Some things never change," Richard remarked.

Ethan smiled but didn’t argue. He was perfectly content to let his father complain, knowing that Jason would eventually move on to another topic.

They chatted idly for a little while, discussing the journey and the preparations that had gone into the wedding. Ethan asked whether everything was ready, and Jason assured him that the ceremony would begin soon. Richard occasionally joined their conversation, while Maria and Helen continued catching up nearby.

Ethan didn’t try to steer the discussion toward business, nor did he feel the need to impress anyone with stories about his achievements. He was there to celebrate his cousin’s wedding, and that was enough.

Before long, staff members began guiding guests toward their seats. The conversations around the hall gradually quieted as people settled down, and the atmosphere shifted in anticipation of the ceremony.

Jason glanced toward the seating area before turning to Ethan.

"Come on. Let’s find our seats."

Ethan nodded and reached for Evelyn’s hand. Nora moved closer to her mother as the family followed Jason toward the arranged seats.

As he walked, Ethan glanced once more toward the entrance, where the remaining guests were making their way inside.

’Well, Albert, let’s see how your big day goes.’

A faint smile appeared on his face as he settled beside Evelyn, waiting for the ceremony to begin.