The Billionaire's Insignificant Wife novel Chapter 116

Wheels Within Wheels

Margaret returned to her sitting room, fury simmering beneath her composed exterior.

Richard Hayes.

Causing problems. Making threats. Daring to show up unannounced and demand access to his daughter.

The audacity.

Margaret paced to the window. Looked out at the empty driveway where Richard’s car had been.

She’d handled him for now. Sent him away. But he’d be back.

With lawyers, he’d said.

With police if necessary.

That couldn’t happen.

A police investigation–even one that went nowhere–would attract attention. Media coverage. Questions about why Alina’s family was being kept away. Speculation about the Blackwood household.

The family name couldn’t afford that kind of scrutiny.

Not with Clarissa’s position still being established. Junior’s recovery ongoing. And Daniel’s company preparing for the Singapore expansion.

Margaret picked up her phone.

Dialed Daniel’s direct line.

He answered on the third ring. “Mom. I’m in a meeting-”

“Richard Hayes showed up at the gate this morning.”

Silence.

“What?”

“Alina’s father. Demanding to see her. Making threats about calling the police. Creating a scene in front of the security staff.”

“Is Alina alright?”

Margaret’s jaw tightened. Annoyed, Daniel instead asked about Alina.

“Alina is fine. She wasn’t even aware of the incident. I handled it personally. But Richard is becoming a problem,

Daniel. He needs to be dealt with.”

“What do you mean, Mom?”

“Get rid of her however you think is appropriate. Legal pressure. Financial leverage. Whatever it takes to ensure he doesn’t have the teeth to threaten this family again.”

Daniel’s voice was cool. “Mom-”

“We should never have maintained relations with that family. The Hayes have been helped–financially supported through your generosity–and this is how they repay us? Alina ungrateful. Her father disrespectful. It’s

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time to sever ties completely by divorcing Alina.”

“No!” Daniel refused firmly. “Don’t talk about that. I don’t want to discuss it.”

Margaret’s grip on the phone tightened. “It’s the cleanest solution. End the marriage. Provide a reasonable settlement. Send her back to her family and be done with this situation.”

“No.”

The word was flat. Final.

“Daniel-”

“There won’t be a divorce, Mother. I’ve told you this. Alina stays.”

“Even after her father showed up making threats?”

“I’ll handle Richard Hayes. I’ll make sure he doesn’t cause further disruption. But Alina remains my wife.”

“You’re being unreasonable-”

“I’m being clear. Drop this. Focus on Junior. Focus on Clarissa’s integration. Leave Alina alone.”

The line went dead.

Daniel had hung up on her.

Margaret stared at the phone in her hand.

Then she threw it across the room.

It hit the wall with a satisfying crack.

“BODOH!” She spat the curse into the empty room. “Stupid boy!”

He’d fallen in love with her.

Actually, genuinely fallen in love with Alina.

After five years of treating her like hired help, Daniel had finally developed real feelings.

At the worst possible time.

Margaret’s eyes landed on the journal still sitting on her desk.

Her anger intensified.

She’d spent nearly an hour reading that damn thing. Searching for something–anything–she could use.

Proof of an affair. Plans to leave. Contact with lawyers.

But all she’d found was one sentence.

Repeated on every single page.

Over and over in increasingly desperate handwriting.

‘I will get out of this hell.‘

Nothing else. No plans.

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Just that one sentence. Hundreds of times.

Margaret picked up the journal. Flipped through the pages again.

Same words. Same desperate repetition.

I will get out of this hell.

I will get out of this hell.

I will get out of this hell.

Then slowly, Margaret’s lips curved into a smile.

Not useful for divorce proceedings.

But definitely useful for something else.

A woman who wrote the same sentence hundreds of times wasn’t stable.

A woman obsessed with escape to that degree was mentally unwell.

Dangerous, even.

Margaret opened the journal again. Studied the handwriting. The way the letters became more jagged as the pages progressed. The way some words were pressed so hard into the paper they’d torn through.

This was the writing of someone having a breakdown.

Someone who needed psychiatric intervention.

And if Alina was mentally unstable–documented as such by medical professionals–then Daniel couldn’t keep her. Wouldn’t want to.

No man wanted to live with a madwoman.

Margaret reached for her phone. The one she’d thrown had cracked screen but still functioned.

She pulled up a contact. Dr. Lawrence Mitchell. Private psychiatrist. Discreet. Willing to write reports that aligned with what his wealthy clients needed.

“Dr. Mitchell? I am Margaret Blackwood. I need your services for a delicate family matter…”

At Blackwood Industries headquarters, Daniel sat at his desk, phone still in hand, jaw clenched with frustration.

His mother’s words echoed in his head.

Divorce Alina. Sever ties. Deal with Richard Hayes.

Margaret always pushing. Manipulating. Always convinced she knew what was best for everyone.

Daniel set down the phone and buzzed his assistant.

“Get me Mr. Harris. Security chief at the house.”

“Right away, sir.”

Thirty seconds later, the call connected.

“Mr. Harris. My mother reported an incident this morning with Richard Hayes. I need details.”

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Mr. Harris’s voice was careful. Professional. “Yes, sir. Mr. Hayes arrived at approximately 10:15 AM. Demanded to see Mrs. Alina. Became agitated when denied entry. Made threats about calling police and returning with lawyers.”

“Was he violent?”

“No, sir. He’s just frustrated and loud, but not violent. Mrs. Margaret handled the situation personally. Mr. Hayes left after about fifteen minutes.”

“And Alina? Did she know about this?”

A pause. “I’m not certain, sir. Mrs. Alina was in the garden during the incident.”

“Was she upset? Did anyone inform her?”

“Not to my knowledge, sir.”

Daniel processed this. “Going forward, I want to be notified immediately of any incidents at the house. Before my mother handles them. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And Mr. Harris? If Richard Hayes returns, let him see Alina. Don’t block him. Just supervise the visit to ensure everyone’s safety.”

Another pause. Longer this time. “Sir, Mrs. Margaret gave explicit instructions that Mr. Hayes is banned from the property-”

“I’m overriding those instructions. Richard is Alina’s father. He has a right to see her. If he comes back, allow supervised access.”

“Yes, sir. Understood.”

Daniel hung up.

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