Hanging on his every word
The people in the audience were immediately putty in this guy’s hands, and they were totally attentive to everything he had to say. Just as he seemed to be easing them into a pleasant address, he let loose his fury.
The stepfather thanked the bride and groom for giving him a wake-up call about his family’s belief that he was in charge. When everyone saw that this guy was serious, they began to look at one another with bewilderment.