Aria stared at Richard Blackwood, certain she'd misheard.
"I'm sorry.....what?"
"I said welcome to the family. Are you deaf or just shocked?" His eyes twinkled with amusement. "Though I suppose shock is warranted. You expected me to reject you."
"Everyone in that dining room expected you to reject me."
"Everyone in that dining room is a snob who mistakes breeding for character. I didn't build an empire by valuing the right last name over the right qualities." He stood, moving to the window. "Do you know what I see when I look at you?"
"Someone who used the wrong fork four times?"
He laughed....a genuine, warm sound. "I see someone who reminds me of my late wife. Catherine wasn't born into this world either. Daughter of a factory worker, put herself through college, had no idea which spoon to use for soup. But she was brilliant and kind and strong. And she made my son....Damien's father....happier than I'd ever seen him."
Aria felt her throat tighten.
