In Love With My Billionaire Husband's Brother

CHAPTER ONE: PROLOGUE

"Why wouldn't you go back to London!" Alex roared at Alan

"Why is it such a big problem for you? I have my manager and the board of directors handling things for me in London. Why are you so threatened by my presence here?" He yelled back

"Because you are ruining things for me Alan, you are making everything difficult for me! "

"You are making things difficult for yourself Alex, I did not want to have to report you to Father but I think that would be the best decision now since you have decided that embezzling company funds will be your metier now, "

Alex looked at him, resentment evident in his expression as he moved to come for Alan. Valerie, who was seated on the bed, sprang up to come in between them before things got more heated. Facing Alex and backing and holding Alan's hands, the expression on her face was one of worry and warning.

Alex looked irritated at the sight before him, he shoved her aside making her stagger, and hold on to the vanity mirror for support. A look of worry spread on Alan's face as he moved to help her.

Alex looked at them, his eyes shifting to scan the facial expressions that they wore, nodding his head, pursing his lips, and looking straight at Alan.

"Valerie, leave the room, " he said

"Why should I leave, you both are about to tear yourselves to shreds! " she yelled, her voice filled with concern

"Valerie get the fuck out of this room and find something to do! Go and knit, cook, or play with Kevin! " Alex roared, and Valerie nodded and left the room.

Closing the door behind her, she pressed her ears to the door, trying to listen in on their conversations

"Why would you speak to a woman in that manner? " Alan asked

"Because she is a woman, she isn't allowed to have an opinion, she isn't supposed to be butting in my affairs, she should stay in her lane and take care of my son!" Alex retorted harshly and Alan shook his head

"We don't live in the 60's, this is the 21st century. Women shouldn't be treated like garbage, "

"We were having a sensible conversation here, it's not time for you to play hero and act like a fucking activist. And besides, this is my home, my home, my marriage, my rules. You are merely violating my rules and trying to incorporate yours,"

"She is a human being, you vile son of a bitch!" Alan snarled

Outside the room, Valerie was contemplating whether to barge into the room or not because she did not like where this matter was headed.

"She is my wife! If you want a woman who'd be equal to you, marry someone and stop screaming at me for wanting to be superior in my home, "

"That doesn't matter Alex, nobody treats their wives like vegetables anymore, " Alan said

"Nobody will tell me how to talk to my wife, she is my wife! I paid her dowry, which her deadbeat father owed me, and gave me her hand in marriage in exchange for a position in my company and a roof over his head. She owes me, "

Valerie couldn't hear much anymore and just as she thought that everything was over, what came out of Alan's mouth almost hauled her heart out of her chest.

"Perhaps I should tell you that I have been shagging your wife, " ......

......

......

......

She pressed her ear against the door, her heart beating extremely fast as that revelation was uncalled for. Alan could have said something else and not have told him about them now.

As she moved to leave the area she heard pieces of furniture move and break.

"Alan! " she screams as she barges into the room and sees Alex sitting on Alan and punching him in the face. She rushes over to them as she screams and cries and moves to push him off of Alex and hold him in her chest, crying. Alex nods in realization and leaves the room angrily.

Blood gushed out of Alan's mouth and panic rose in Valerie's heart as she left him and rushed to the door

"Someone! Fareeda! Come, Alan..., " she screamed and ran back to Alan as he was coughing out clots of blood. She made his head rest on both her laps, as she cried and screamed for help

She rubbed his chest fervently and caressed his face with her thumb, her chest heaved up and down as she continued to shout for help.

Fareeda rushes in with a couple of other maids, confusion, and fear evident in their facial expressions.

She looks at the maid standing next to her and pushes her out of the room

"Go and call the doctor! "

Fareeda rushes to where Alan lay and kneels next to him, she checks his pulse and nods her head. Just then the estate doctor enters the room with a couple of other nurses and a stretcher. Alan was placed carefully on the stretcher and was wheeled out of the room.

Valerie collapses on Fareeda, crying and screaming. Fareeda hugs Valerie, rubbing her back in the process.

"Clean all these messes up, " Fareeda instructed, and the other maids began cleaning the room.

With the help of another maid, Fareeda helped Valerie to her other room, and when they reached the room Fareeda dismissed the other maid.

She held Valerie's face, her beautiful face that was once filled with glee had now turned into one of anguish.

"He will be fine Val, " she assured Valerie and watched as Valerie managed to nod her head.

"You have to take a bath... you are covered in blood, " Fareeda said. Valerie stood up carefully and moved to check her complexion in the vanity mirror. Seeing herself covered in blood, Valerie nodded, forced a small smile, and watched Fareeda leave the room.

Valerie sat on the bed, a look of resignation on her face as she ran her hands through her hair. Her wet face and puffy eyes spoke volumes. She felt the urge to cry again as she felt a lump in her throat, her face contorted into one of despair and her lips quivered as she forced herself to hold the tears in. Tears formed in her eyes and she quickly cleaned them with the back of her hand. She stripped herself of her clothes and entered the bathroom.

As she scrubbed the blood off her body, images of Alex punching Alan clouded her memory, she held her head, hitting it on the glass door harshly, trying to force herself to forget that horrid scene. Blood trickled down her forehead and then she stopped. She grabbed her towel, walked out of the bathroom, and flopped on the bed. Staring at the ceiling, she envisioned how hard her life would have been without Alan in it.

When Alex returns from wherever he went he'd probably kill her next. She sighed at the thought of that. She hears her phone ring from under the pillows and she moves to answer the call.

"We have a problem. "

CHAPTER TWO: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!

Every year since Valerie married into the Carson family all the responsibility for organizing Christmas has been transferred to her.

Nothing changed except that the Christmas preparation is usually more hectic than the last, and her husband- Alex even made it more unbearable for her.

Valerie worshipped her husband and the ground he walked on because he saved her father from going to prison.

Valerie's father- Toby Diaz was a well-known gambler and fraudster. He usually borrowed money from Alex- his boss and then gambled it all away. In the end, Toby had no means to pay Alex back and that was the first time Alex had ever seen Valerie.

Valerie was 17, she rushed into the living room because she heard people yelling. When she entered the living room, she found out that they were yelling at her father, she looked confused and couldn't place her finger on why they'd be screaming at her father.

All the heads in the room turned toward her, including Alex. When Alex saw her he was too stunned to speak, he had never seen anyone as gorgeous as Valerie. Alex was 30 years old. Toby was horrified when he saw the lascivious look on Alex's face. He wanted to speak but then one of Alex's men slapped him across the face.

"She is 17 years old! " her father screamed at Alex and she just stood in the room scared and unable to move.

"Go back upstairs, Valerie, " her father commanded, and then she ran upstairs swiftly.

That night, her father came into her room, he looked so sad, and he had tears welling up in the corner of his eyes. Valerie pretended to be sleeping in bed and she could hear her father walk toward where she lay and then kiss her forehead.

"Lo siento cara mia, " he said in a small voice, and she opened her eyes forgetting that she was supposed to be pretending to sleep

"Papa, what is it? " she asked and her father just hugged her, his head buried in her long brunette hair as he cried.

"It's all my fault, " he said

Valerie didn't understand what was going on so she stayed quiet.

"I promised your mom that I was going to take care of you, " he whimpered, sniffling. "I am very sorry amor, " he added

"What is going on Papa? " she asked in a small voice, already sobbing

Toby moved to cup her face, cleaning her tears, and then kissed her forehead

"Vete a dormir bebe, " he whispered and tucked her in her bed

The next morning, when she woke up, she saw Alex seated on her bed.

"You are so beautiful, even the law cannot stop me from marrying you, " he said

He married Valerie the following day.

~

Valerie was now 22 years old, and she had a son with Alex the year they got married. Alex named him Kevin, her young vibrant beautiful boy.

Valerie's beauty had grown and developed over the years. Her hair was a deep, rich brunette, falling in waves below her waist. Her eyes were a deep brown, flecked with gold, and her lips were full and rosy. She had high cheekbones and a delicate nose, giving her a timeless, classic beauty. But it was more than her physical features that made Valerie so stunning - it was the way she carried herself, with grace and poise, that indeed made her a sight to behold. Valerie had a heart of gold and she spread kindness everywhere she went.

Her father and mother-in-law loved her so much because she reminded them of Alex's sister who died when Alex was 20 years old. Alex had a younger brother-Alan whom Valerie had met once and that was when Alex and Valerie got married.

~

Valerie was supervising the preparation for the Christmas party that was taking place in the Carson estate tomorrow evening. The Carson estate was where Alex, Valerie, and Kevin lived, while Alex's parents and his brother lived in another country.

Carson Innovations is a technology company founded by Alex's great-grandfather, Francis Carson. The company is headquartered in California and has a strong presence in London as well. There are also several branches of Carson Innovations scattered all over the world but California and London are where the headquarters of Carson Innovations are located. Alan is the CEO of the branch in London and their parents also live in London.

For this year's Christmas party at the Carson estate in California, the whole Carson family will be in attendance and this was something that even the estate staff were looking forward to.

Only the most influential persons are invited to the Christmas party, Valerie usually prepares the guest list and hands it over to Alex for cross-checking. Valerie was only allowed to see her father at the Christmas party and that was why she mostly looked forward to the Christmas party every year. She was also anticipating her father and mother-in-law's visit to their home and she was mostly anxious to meet Alan again after five years.

The last time she saw him at her and Alex's wedding he was just a scrawny boy who wore braces in his 20s, so what was there to be anxious about?

None of that was her problem at the moment because she had something to discuss with Alex.

The theme of this year's Christmas party was chosen by Alex, and it was called- A Night in Paris, she ordered for all of the decorations to be delivered to the Carson estate immediately and she was sure that Alex's assistant- Mini sorted the payments for all of it out.

She received a call after the decorations arrived, the man demanded at least a down payment and she was lost, she called Mini and Alex, and they both weren't answering the phone. She was sure that they were together because Alex said something about attending a meeting in Vegas.

When Fareeda- the head maid informed her of Alex's arrival and that he was in the room they both shared, she sprinted to the room, opened the door, and found Alex removing his suit. She ran towards him to help him take it off and she noticed purple marks on his neck. She ran her hand over it and Alex looked at her questionably.

"There are purple marks on your neck, " she said softly

"It's a bruise, "

"Hm, I can see, " she replied, folding his suit and placing it on the bed. She moved to unbutton his dress shirt and then told him about what was bothering her.

"I called you and Mini earlier, " she started, looking at Alex to meet his eyes, and when he said nothing, she continued

"The decorations company said that we haven't paid them and I was sure Mini took care of the payments, "

"I withdrew them before she deposited anything, " he said taking off his dress shirt by himself

"Why? "

"None of your business, " he said removing his pants

"The company wants their money, Alex, do you want me to cancel the party? I do not want anything that will bring embarrassment to our family especially when Mom, Dad, and Alan will be in attendance, " Valerie pressed

"I'll take care of it, I'll talk to Mini after taking a bath, " he said and left for the bathroom

Valerie heaved a sigh and sat on the bed. Just then, Alex's phone began ringing. Mini's name appeared on the caller ID. She thought that it'd be a good idea to speak to Mini herself as she was the one organizing the event. She answered the phone and Mini's voice filled her ears.

"Babe, that was amazing," Mini said and then chuckled

Babe?

Who the hell calls their boss, babe?

"It's Valerie, "

CHAPTER 3: SNEAKY LINKS?

When Mini heard Valerie's voice, she quickly hung up. Just then, Valerie heard Alex coming. She immediately dropped his phone, left the room, and turned her back to the door, her chest heaving. Rushing to where Fareeda was, Valerie tried to compose herself. Fareeda was busy directing people to get the decorations done in time for the Christmas party. She pulled Fareeda by the arm and led her to a corner.

Fareeda and Valerie had a close relationship as they were best friends. Their friendship began when Alex married Valerie, and Fareeda was a new maid in the house. Even though Fareeda was two years older than Valerie. When Valerie felt lonely and sad, Fareeda was always there for her. When the former head maid passed away, Valerie insisted that Fareeda take her place. Even though the other maids were envious of Fareeda's promotion, neither Valerie nor Fareeda let it bother them. Anyone who dared to challenge Fareeda's authority would be severely punished. Valerie and Fareeda's friendship had withstood the test of time, and they were like sisters. And any challenges that either of them had, they faced and conquered them head-on.

"Fareeda, I think Alex is cheating on me, "

Fareeda let out a loud gasp and Valerie put her hand over her mouth to shut her up.

"Why, how do you know that? "

"Mini was calling him on the phone and then I answered the call and she said 'Baby, that was amazing, " Valerie said, imitating how Mini said it.

"Who the hell calls their boss, baby?" Fareeda asks rhetorically

"Exactly the same thing I thought,"

"I think you need to confront him," Fareeda advised

"What, no, you saw what happened to me the last time I confronted Alex when he told his dumb friends that when Kevin grew up he was going to send him to boarding school. He gave me a black eye, "

"So, what do you wish to do now? "

"I know that I am right but it may have been a mistake, right? I just need to keep an open mind for now, if I notice anything suspicious then I am going to confront him, " Valerie said bracing herself up

"Okay, Val, we'll talk later. Alex might come downstairs to oversee the preparations for tomorrow, " she said, gave Valerie a tight smile, and then left.

Valerie sighs aloud, unsure of what to do. Just then, a maid runs to her, breathing heavily

"What is the matter? " she asked already irritated by the exaggeration

"Comport yourself, Monica! " she shouted and Monica stood still.

"Ma'am, Mr. Alex's family has just arrived, " she said breathless

Valerie was stunned as they weren't supposed to arrive until tomorrow, why were they early?

She rushed to the main door with Monica and asked her to usher them in. She looked around the house and everywhere was in disarray. She immediately ran upstairs to find Alex and tell him that his family had already arrived. She wanted to barge into the room but something held her back, she heard Alex laugh. She pressed her ears against the door and found out that he was talking to someone.

"I am tired of that demanding ass company, once everything is done and the money reaches our goal, we are going to leave, " Valerie heard him say. Her eyes widened in shock, she comported herself and opened the door

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking? " Alex roared

"This is my room too, " she countered, her valor made Alex furious as he moved towards her and grabbed her hair. She yelped in pain as he kept on tugging on her hair even harder.

"Your parents and brothers are downstairs, " she managed to say.

His countenance twisted into one of confusion as he harshly released Valerie from his grasp, making her fall on the bed.

He dusted non-existent dirt off his clothes and then rushed out of the room.

Valerie's eyes lit up as she realized that she was alone in the room, she moved to lock the door and then grabbed Alex's phone.

She sighed irritably as she discovered that she needed a face ID to unlock the phone, she saw a 14x7 picture frame of him in the corner of the room above her vanity mirror and tried to use that to unlock the phone but to no avail.

She drops the phone and rushes to Alex's desk, the first, second, and third drawers are locked, but the fourth one is easily unlocked.

There was nothing except a piece of paper in that drawer. She scanned the piece of paper and found nothing useful there.

She tries to force the other drawers open but to no avail, she rushes to her vanity mirror and searches her beauty table for a hairpin, when she finds the hairpin she scurries back to Alex's drawers and tries to use the pin to open it.

She chose the second one and glee was evident in her expression when she heard a 'click'. She flung the hairpin across the room and opens the drawer.

Cash.

Wads of Cash were in the drawer.

Why didn't he use this money to pay the decor company for the deliveries they made? She thought. She quickly shut the drawer and tried to find the hairpin to open the other drawers.

She swiftly goes to take two more hairpins and forces the first and second drawers open.

More cash was contained in the second drawer and then she opened the first drawer and saw documents. She shuffled through the documents and one document caught her eye.

"The sum of 70 million dollars has been withdrawn from the company funds under your name, with no reason stated as to why you took out that huge sum of money, " she read aloud, and her eyes went to the end of the paper

"Signed, board of directors London,"

She quickly folds the paper and tucks it in her bra as she searches the drawer for something else. She found their marriage certificate, and Kevin's birth certificate, and then under all those documents was a phone.

She took out the phone, luckily for her, the phone was unlocked.

"I messages first, " she whispered

There was a pinned chat there and it was locked. The name on the chat read 'Babe' with a white heart emoji. She sighed as she closed the app and opened his gallery.

The only images on his phone were Images of Naked Women. She was beyond irritated as her hands skimmed through the rows of pictures.

The picture that eventually caught her eye was of a woman she knew.

"Mini, " she whispered. She hurriedly took her phone out of her pocket and sent the picture to her phone via Bluetooth. She turned the phone off and kept it where she had seen it.

Her heart raced as she heard loud footsteps down the hall. She shut the drawers and ran into the walk-in closet to hide the large sum of money document and then started to change her clothes.

The door creaks open and someone peeks in

"Val? " she called

Valerie's heart settled when she realized that it was Fareeda's voice that she heard.

"Coming! "

Valerie came out of the walk-in closet after she had changed into a long flowing blue gown.

She had decided to keep what she had just found in Alex's drawer to herself until she found out why he needed that much money.