"Whether you like it or not, Adelina, you have to go. Our family settled this engagement with the Sullivan family many years ago. They raised five remarkable sons, and no one is asking you to marry all of them. Simply choose the one you like best. Surely, one of those young men will manage to impress you."
Adelina Bennett relaxed against the sofa while her untamed curls flowed down her back like red flames. Bold features gave her a rare and unforgettable beauty that could easily turn heads and steal hearts. Whenever she entered a room, people couldn't help but notice her.
Marvin Bennett had raised his granddaughter since she was a child. Adelina respected the old man very much and knew better than to keep arguing when he had already made up his mind. Her lips slowly formed a calculating smile. "All right, Grandpa. I'll agree, but only if you accept my terms. The Sullivan family must never discover my real identity. Since you think so highly of their sons, I'll spend one year getting to know them. If none of them wins my heart before that year ends, the engagement will be canceled. Afterward, no one gets to interfere with my love life ever again."
Marvin laughed softly because he did not doubt the outcome. "You have yourself a deal."
...
Several days later, four remarkably handsome men gathered outside the train station in Ardencroft.
Each man possessed a different kind of charm. One appeared distant and refined, while another carried himself with an easy warmth. Together, they drew so much attention that a crowd would've surrounded them for their contact details if the bodyguards hadn't kept everyone back.
"This is ridiculous." Carson Sullivan was the youngest brother, and he fanned a hand in front of his face to fight the heat. "Grandfather forced us to stand outside in this weather just to welcome someone we never met. Does he honestly believe we have nothing important to do?"
"Anyone who travels all the way here by train must come from some forgotten little town in the middle of nowhere," Colin Sullivan added. As the fourth brother, he was also a famous celebrity who had recently been named the country's most desirable man. Irritation showed in his eyes as he adjusted the cap and mask hiding his face.
"So a country girl gets to inspect all five of us and decide which one deserves to become her fiance?" Trevor Sullivan, the third Sullivan brother, gave a dry laugh and shook his head. "I honestly thought Grandfather was joking when he told me yesterday. Waylon certainly chose the perfect morning for a meeting because he managed to escape this mess."
Only Alan Sullivan remained silent. He was the second eldest, but the tension in his jaw and the irritation in his eyes made his opinion perfectly clear.
Moments later, the station doors opened and a young woman stepped outside. She wore a red dress so painfully outdated that it looked like an insult to fashion. Cheap embroidery covered the poorly fitted design, while the unpleasant fabric made the entire outfit look even worse. An awkward haircut surrounded her face and completed the dreadful appearance.
Carson quickly elbowed Colin and pointed toward her. "Are you seeing this? Who still dresses like that? I haven't seen anything so awful outside those old TV comedies from the nineties."
A second later, all four brothers watched in disbelief as the young woman headed directly toward them. She didn't hesitate before coming to a stop in front of them.
"Hello," she said with a gentle, modest voice. "I assume you're the Sullivan brothers. My name is Adelina Bennett."
Every brother's expression stiffened at once. Disbelief spread across Colin's face as he looked her up and down. "Wait, you're the Adelina Bennett we've been waiting for?"
Could this truly be the lovely young lady their grandfather had praised so highly?
Nothing about the girl in front of them matched that description. A dull, dark complexion covered her face, along with moles scattered across her skin. Worst of all was the shockingly bright pink lipstick painted heavily over her mouth, which made her lips resemble a piece of bubblegum.
Adelina gave an eager nod and gazed at them as though their looks had completely amazed her. "My grandfather told me all of you were handsome, but I thought he was exaggerating. It turns out he wasn't."
But inwardly, she thought they were just okay. None of them seemed impressive enough to tempt her.
Carson looked so close to losing his temper. Both hands curled into fists as he struggled to swallow every insult threatening to leave his mouth. He had expected a simple country girl, but even his worst imagination hadn't prepared him for someone like this.
At last, he forced himself to say, "Ms. Bennett, wouldn't you rather return home instead of staying here?"
"Excuse me?" Adelina blinked at him with genuine confusion.
Alan eventually took control of the situation. He was the second Sullivan brother and served as vice president of the Sullivan Group. His usual composure remained intact as he spoke in a calm but decisive tone. "We've waited long enough. Everyone should get in the car."
Soon afterward, all five of them departed from the station. Adelina took a seat beside Alan in the vehicle's middle row.
She leaned close to the window and stared outside with exaggerated amazement. "Look at those buildings! They're unbelievably tall! Nothing back home looks anything like this!"
Silent looks passed among the four brothers as they tried not to react. To them, she resembled a country mouse seeing the city for the first time, and her ignorance was almost impossible to believe.
A moment later, Adelina noticed the watch on Alan's wrist and gasped once more. "Oh, my God! Your watch is beautiful! Something that fancy must cost a few hundred dollars, doesn't it?"
A few hundred dollars? The watch had cost thirty million!
Words failed every brother in the car. By then, each of them shared the same desperate hope that Adelina would choose someone else.
Eventually, the car stopped outside the Sullivan estate. Adelina opened her mouth in another display of exaggerated awe. "This is incredible! Your family lives in a huge house!"
In truth, the entire property wasn't even one-tenth as large as her family's estate. Secretly, she regarded it with little more than contempt.
Carson interrupted her thoughts before she could finish judging the place. "Will you stop already? You're behaving as if you've never laid eyes on a proper house. I can't stand listening to another word!"
The other three Sullivan brothers remained quiet, but they felt exactly the same way.
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