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Hunter was next, his expression one of seething, barely restrained anger. He wouldn’t even look her way as he chose a chair to sit in, keeping his gaze carefully averted.
Disappointment left a hollow in her stomach.
And finally Rhett strode in. Casually dressed in khaki pants and an untucked white button-front shirt with the sleeves rolled up, he appeared to have not a care in the world. He flashed Stasia a cheeky grin, acknowledging her with a flick of his chin.
It was probably foolish, but Stasia viewed the youngest Worth brother as her only ally among them.
“Gavin,” Alex said, reaching out to shake Gavin’s hand, who stood to greet him. “Good to see you. You’re looking well.”
“Same goes for you, Alex.” They shook hands before they both sat down, Alex directly across from him. “I see marriage and fatherhood agrees with you.”
A spark of pleasure lit Alex’s dark blue gaze, quick as a flickering match before the flame was doused. “It does, indeed. Family, as you well know, has always been important to me.”
“I do know. That’s why I hope you’re looking forward to meeting my client.”
Alex’s gaze met hers and fear trembled in her heart. He was intelligent, shrewd. Tough. She’d heard many a story how he could make grown women and men cry with just a look.
She refused to let him break her. After all, she’d grown up with three macho Italian brothers who thought they were God’s gift. Surely she could handle three more of them, right?
“You resemble Hunter,” Alex said after a long pause. “I see it in the shape of your face.”
She remained silent, her gaze flicking in Hunter’s direction, but she couldn’t get a good read since all she saw was his profile. “It is a pleasure to meet you. All three of you,” she said, casting her gaze about the table.
“It’s good to see you again, Anastasia,” Rhett said, his voice friendly, his expression open.
Hunter glared, jabbed Rhett in the side with his elbow. “Have you taken a DNA test yet?”
“Jesus, Hunter, do you always have to be such a jackass?” Rhett asked under his breath.
“Silence. Both of you,” Alex demanded, as if talking to his dogs. Funnily enough, it worked. “I was informed by Gavin that you went and took a DNA test two days ago. Is that correct?”
“It is. I should have the results by late next week, hopefully.”
“I took a DNA test yesterday.” Alex paused. “What are you going to do if the results are negative?”
She was shocked he would ask. “Well, I figure you care more if they’re positive, so if the results are negative, isn’t that really none of your business?”
An almost-smile curled Alex’s lips. “It’s our business if the results aren’t clear enough and we still have questions.”
“I don’t think we should discuss anything until we know for sure if she’s related to us or not,” Hunter said, his irritation clear.
“I agree,” Alex said quietly, his gaze roving over her face, as if memorizing her features. “But the more I look at her, the more I think she looks like you, Hunter.”
Hunter scoffed. “I don’t see the resemblance.”
“I do,” Rhett piped up, his gaze now trained on her as well. “She looks like Dad.”
Her heart hurt at the simple statement. She’d never admitted it her entire life, but she’d always thought she looked so different compared to her brothers. Whereas their hair was dark as midnight, their skin olive-hued, their Italian features strong and swarthy, and they all had the prominent Renaldi nose. She didn’t, though. Stasia always figured she inherited her features from her mother.
But deep down inside, she knew she didn’t resemble her mother either. When she looked at family portraits, she felt like the single outsider. The anomaly with the pale skin and blue eyes. No one in the family had blue eyes. Not a one of them.
Every single Worth staring at her at this very moment did.
“You do look like our father,” Alex said. “The resemblance is most definitely there. But I’m reserving further judgment until the DNA results are in.”
Of course. They couldn’t take her word on it or accept her features as gospel truth either. She knew this and couldn’t blame them, had prepared for it from the moment this meeting had been confirmed.
It still hurt, though, Alex’s words. And he was being nothing but professional. Polite.
