Chapter 1

Lily's POV

The notifications on my phone wouldn't stop buzzing.

I'd been ignoring them for the past hour, but curiosity finally got the better of me.

I slid it open, and immediately wished I hadn't.

My face, or rather, what was supposed to be some grotesque version of me—plastered across every social media platform.

The photo showed an overweight girl, awkwardly posed, with vacant eyes and skin that hadn't received proper care in years.

The headlines were even worse:

BREAKING: Sterling Family Heiress to Choose Husband from Five Eligible Brothers—COUNTRY BUMPKIN Gets Billion-Dollar Family's Golden Ticket

I scrolled through the comments, each more vicious than the last.

@NYCSocialite: Is this a joke? That farm girl looks like she's never seen a salon in her life. The Sterling boys deserve better!

@ManhattanElite: This must be some weird publicity stunt. Walter Sterling would never let this girl near his sons.

The photo had garnered millions of views. Someone had dug up an old picture from my high school days.

Before I hit puberty, when I was struggling with my weight and a terrible skin condition.

I'd deleted all traces of that photo years ago, which meant someone had gone to considerable effort to find it.

I tossed my phone onto the couch.

No doubt this was Elizabeth Sterling's work.

I'd never met the woman, but her reputation preceded her.

The Sterling matriarch would stop at nothing to prevent her precious sons from marrying outside their social circle.

She had no idea who she was messing with.

I glanced around my modest home in Blue Mountain, Vermont.

For years, this little house had been my sanctuary.

It was deliberately chosen to keep my various identities separate.

The world knew me as Lily Reed, the simple country girl who had somehow lucked into an arrangement with the Sterling family.

Only a select few knew about my other lives: CEO of Azure Tech, Grammy-winning musician "Nightingale," and professional race car driver who had broken William Sterling's record in Monaco.

My phone pinged again. It was Lucas Wright.

"They're on their way, ETA 30 minutes," texted my right-hand man and Azure's Chief Operating Officer.

I smiled. This should be interesting.

Three hours later, I heard the distinctive purr of luxury engines pulling up outside.

Through the blinds, I spotted three vehicles that probably cost more than the entire house: a sleek black Bentley, a silver Mercedes, and a midnight blue Aston Martin.

Five men stepped out, and I had to admit, the sight was impressive.

Even from a distance, the Sterling brothers looked like they'd walked straight off a magazine cover.

The tallest one, who I assumed was the eldest brother William Sterling, surveyed my home with barely disguised contempt.

Behind him, the others stretched after their long journey from New York, their designer clothes looking utterly out of place on my humble porch.

I took a deep breath, reminding myself of my father's words: Never let them see you sweat, Lily.

This arrangement had been his dying wish, for me to marry into the Sterling family to fulfill an old agreement between him and Walter Sterling.

What my father didn't know was that I had my own plans for this arrangement.

The doorbell rang.

I waited, counting slowly to ten before going to answer it.

When I opened the door, I was met with five pairs of surprised eyes.

The youngest one—Michael Sterling, barely twenty—actually had his jaw hanging open.

"Holy shit," he whispered, before getting sharply elbowed by the one beside him.

I leaned against the doorframe, deliberately casual.

"You must be the Sterling brothers. I'm Lily Reed."

The tallest one, definitely William, was the first to recover from his shock.

His sharp gray-blue eyes swept over me in a quick assessment.

"William Sterling," he said simply, his voice deep and controlled.

"These are my brothers: Thomas, Henry, Samuel, and Michael."

Each nodded as they were introduced, though their expressions ranged from Thomas's open surprise to Michael's calculating stare.

"Please come in," I said, stepping aside. "Though I'm sure this is a far cry from what you're used to."

Thomas smirked as he entered. "Well, at least you're aware of the... difference."

I watched as the four brothers exchanged glances as they entered my living room. They didn't bother to lower their voices as they began whispering to each other.

"She looks nothing like that photo," Henry said, his voice carrying easily through the small room. "Dad said she was a country bumpkin."

"She still is," Samuel replied, examining my modest furniture. "Just because she's pretty doesn't change her background. She could never fit into New York society."

"Probably never even been to a decent restaurant," Michael added with a condescending laugh. "I bet she thinks Olive Garden is fine dining."

They continued talking amongst themselves, apparently forgetting I was standing right there.

Or they simply didn't care.

William remained silent, not participating in the discussion, but his expression made it clear he thoroughly agreed.

I cleared my throat loudly: "You four have exceptionally nasty mouths and even worse manners."

I turned to William: "You know, for men raised to have impeccable manners, you're doing a terrible job of hiding your contempt."

That shut them up.

The Sterling brothers at least had the decency to look embarrassed.

"I apologize for my brothers," William said, though his tone suggested he was merely observing protocol rather than feeling genuine remorse.

"This situation is... unusual for all of us."

I crossed my arms: "How is it unusual? Because your father is forcing you to honor an agreement he made? Or because I'm not the hideous troll your mommy expected from that lovely photo she dug up?"

Thomas raised an eyebrow, looking slightly more interested now: "You think our mother was behind that photo?"

"I know she was," I replied coolly. "Just like I know your father threatened to stop taking his blood pressure medication if you didn't come here today."

That got their attention.

Five pairs of eyes stared at me with new wariness.

"How did you..." Samuel began curiously.

"I know a lot of things," I cut him off.

"Like how William holds the second-fastest lap record in Monaco."

"Or how Thomas deliberately sabotages William's business decisions in every board meeting."

"Or how Henry's last Broadway show sold out in three minutes."

"Or how Samuel became the youngest hospital director in New York history."

"Or how Michael is currently failing Macroeconomics at Columbia."

Michael's face turned bright red. "I'm not failing!"

"You have a C-minus. For a Sterling, that's practically failing," I shrugged in response, not sparing his feelings after their stellar performance.

The tension in the room shifted.

What had started as five brothers united in contempt for a country girl had transformed into something much more complex.

I could see the calculations happening behind their eyes as they reassessed me.

William stepped forward, his gaze intense: "You seem to know a great deal about us, Ms. Reed. Yet we know almost nothing about you."

"Because you didn't make this your business, did you?" I smiled sweetly.

"Your father arranged this whole 'choose a husband' scenario and didn't bother to tell you who I actually am. And your mother made sure the world saw exactly what she wanted you to see."

I gestured toward the window, where my modest Vermont home stood in stark contrast to their luxury vehicles.

"Appearances can be deceiving, gentlemen Sterling, and I suggest you remember that."

The five brothers exchanged glances again, this time with far less confidence than before.

I clapped my hands.

"Now, who wants coffee? We have a lot to discuss about this arrangement. And which one of you might eventually become my husband."