Karachi (Romance Stories Online) — After their mother’s funeral, a ruthless patriarch leaves his fortune to the maid he underestimated. Now, three estranged millionaire brothers must win her love to claim their inheritance—she never asked for this.
Rain hammered the tall windows of the Walker estate as Lori stood silent in the funeral parlor. The casket closed, and her heart pounded with confusion and sorrow. She had only come to pay respects—she was the family’s maid, after all.
From the back pew, a voice cracked. “She was my wife. And these are my sons.”
A tall man, his gray hair slicked, his eyes hollow, gestured to three young men standing stiffly behind him.
One of the sons—handsome, ruthless—snorted. “Where have you been? You couldn’t even be bothered to show up for her funeral.”
Lori’s throat dried. A chill ran through her skin.
Later that evening, the firelight cast sharp shadows in the drawing room. Mr. Walker cleared his throat. “Since none of my sons bothered to say goodbye to their mother… I have decided to change my will.” His voice quivered with both grief and pride. “The entire estate goes to Lori.”
Silence.
“You heard me,” he continued, pressing a trembling hand on a heavy oak desk. “Unless one of you wins her heart. Prove you have a heart, and she’s yours—inheritance, name, everything.”
Anger flashed in the sons’ eyes. One—handsome and proud—stood. “Dad, you’re insane!”
Another, lean and cunning, smirked.
The youngest, quiet and brooding, simply clenched his fists.
Lori’s heart thudded. She was trapped. She had no family here. She had no choice.
Over the next week, each brother attempted to woo her in his own way.
Richard arrived in a red Lamborghini. He pulled up to the front gate dramatically. At dinner, he held a single rose. “Lori, I will take you anywhere. Paris, Milan—name it.” His voice slipped between charm and desperation.
She shook her head. “I’m not a prize to be won with speed and flash.”
Lucas sent her a harpsichord and candlelit chamber music in the ballroom. At midnight, he serenaded her under her window. She heard him—fragile, yearning—but closed the shutters.
In the dark, she whispered to herself, This is a cruel game.
Ethan, the youngest, stayed distant. He watched her from hallways, catching her cleaning dusty corners, helping her carry trays, offering quiet kindness. One night, when a vase shattered, he rushed to her side. Glass cut her hand. Blood trickled.
“Lori!” He knelt. He pressed a clean cloth. His voice shook: “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
She didn’t recoil. Pain gripped her palm. Her heart began to tremble.
Weeks passed. The competition grew twisted. Secrets unraveled.
One evening in the library, Richard cornered her among shelves of leather-bound books. “Why won’t you even speak to me? I bought you gifts, I whisked you out to dinners!”
“Because I don’t trust you,” Lori said. Her voice broke. “You treat me like a trophy, not a person.”
Lucas, overhearing, stepped forward. “That’s unfair, Richard.” He turned to Lori. “Do you even know who you’d be marrying? Our father… he is not the man you think.”
Ethan’s pale face materialized from the shadows. “She deserves better than this charade.”
Lori’s chest tightened. Rage, fear, longing swirled in her.
On the eve of the contract signing, Lori stood in the grand hall. The wedding dress lay before her—a dazzling white gown. The three brothers clustered on one side; Mr. Walker behind a grand desk, pen in hand.
“Marry one of them, or sign surrender of all claims,” he murmured.
Lori’s voice trembled as she spoke. “I won’t sign. I won’t marry any of you.”
Shock erupted.
“Do you want to be deported?” her father hissed, gesturing to legal papers.
She swallowed. “Perhaps. But I’d rather leave than live as someone’s game piece.”
Silence.
Then Ethan stepped forward, his eyes blazing. “She doesn’t have to marry any of us. Not like this.”
Richard laughed bitterly. Lucas growled. Her father’s face turned crimson.
Lori turned to Ethan, her hands shaking. “You… you really mean that?”
He nodded. “I mean that your choice matters more than any fortune.”
Her tears spilled. In his gaze, she recognized the one heart that never begged.
Epilogue:
Lori refused to sign the contract. She refused to marry someone for money. She declined the fortune—except for a modest portion to begin a new life. The three brothers parted ways, each changed.
But Ethan stayed. One night, under the estate’s moonlit garden, he took her hand. “Come with me—if you’ll let me.”
She pressed her fingers to his. “Yes.”
They walked into an uncertain future together, built on choice, love, and freedom.
FAQs
Q1: Is Lori forced to marry one of them?
No—eventually she refuses all conditions and makes her own choice. Her agency is key.
Q2: Why did the father pick Lori?
Because he resented his own sons for abandoning their mother. He believed Lori cared in ways they never did.
Q3: Did Lori ever want the fortune?
No—she craved dignity, not wealth. When offered, she accepted only what she needed for a new start.
Q4: Which brother “wins”?
Ethan, through respect and emotional sincerity.
Q5: Is this a marriage of convenience?
It begins dangerously, but ends as a union based on choice and love.
Which brother’s approach touched you most—Richard’s passion, Lucas’s music, or Ethan’s quiet kindness? Share below and let’s discuss!
