The Billionaire's Insignificant Wife novel Chapter 117

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The Performance

At two forty–five, Alina returned to her room to change for tea with the Hendersons.

Earlier, she chose to sit quietly in the garden to calm herself.

Alina was still upset remembering what Margaret had done to her father. She didn’t want anyone in the house to notice it. In the end, Alina chose to be alone.

The blue dress with pearl buttons hung in the closet exactly where she’d left it. Margaret’s choice. Margaret’s orders.

Alina dressed mechanically. Fixed her hair. Applied lipstick.

Looked at herself in the mirror.

Perfect. Presentable. Empty.

But behind the empty eyes, something burned.

Rage.

Pure. Focused. Directed entirely at Margaret Blackwood.

The woman who’d humiliated her father at the gate. Who’d banned her family from the property. Who’d systematically destroyed everything Alina cared about.

Margaret thought she’d won.

Thought Alina was broken beyond repair.

She was wrong.

Alina smoothed the blue dress. Checked her appearance one final time.

Then she went downstairs to perform.

***

The Hendersons were already in the sitting room when Alina arrived.

Margaret presiding over tea service with practiced grace.

Mrs. Henderson stood to greet Alina with an air kiss. “Alina! How lovely to see you again. You look wonderful.”

“Thank you. You’re very kind.”

“Please, sit. We were just discussing the charity gala next month. Margaret mentioned you might be interested in joining the planning committee?”

Alina glanced at Margaret.

Her mother–in–law’s smile was pleasant. Expectant.

But Alina knew the meaning behind that smile–Margaret wanted her to say yes. Play your role. Be the dutiful wife who participates in appropriate society functions.

“I’d be honored,” Alina said smoothly.

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“Wonderful! We need more young women with fresh perspectives. The same old crowd gets so tiresome, don’t you think?”

Mrs. Henderson launched into details about the gala. Themes being considered. Vendors. Guest lists.

Alina listened with appropriate interest. Nodded at the right moments. Offered generic opinions when prompted.

The perfect society wife.

Inside, her mind was elsewhere.

Replaying her father’s voice at the gate. “I want to see my daughter!”

Margaret’s cold response. “You’re not getting in today.”

The tears in her father’s eyes as he drove away.

“Alina?”

She blinked. Focused.

Mrs. Henderson was looking at her expectantly. “I’m sorry, what was the question?”

“I asked if you preferred the silver or gold table settings. For the centerpieces.”

“Gold,” Alina said. “More warmth.”

“Exactly what I thought!” Mrs. Henderson beamed. “Margaret, your daughter–in–law has excellent taste.”

“She does,” Margaret agreed. Voice pleasant. Eyes cold.

The conversation continued.

Margaret mentioned Junior’s progress. How well he was adjusting. How grateful she was for the family’s support during this difficult time.

Mrs. Henderson expressed appropriate sympathy. Asked thoughtful questions about the recovery process.

“And you, Alina?” Mrs. Henderson turned to her. “It must have been so hard for you as well. Watching Junior go through such trauma.”

Alina’s hands tightened around her teacup.

“It was difficult,” she said carefully. “But I’m glad he’s recovering well.”

“You were so close to him before, weren’t you? Margaret mentioned you helped care for him quite a bit in his early years.”

Helped care for him.

As if Alina had been the nanny. The assistant. Not the primary parent for five years.

“Yes,” Alina said. “I was very involved in his upbringing,”

“It must be strange now. With his memory issues. Does he remember you at all?”

The question was innocent. Curious.

But it landed like a knife.

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“Some things,” Alina lied. “It’s still early in his recovery.”

Margaret’s expression was sympathetic. “The doctors say memory can be unpredictable after trauma. Some things return. Others don’t. We’re just grateful he’s alive and healthy.”

“Of course,” Mrs. Henderson said. “That’s what matters most.”

The conversation shifted to safer topics. Fashion. Travel plans. Local gossip.

Alina participated minimally. Enough to avoid standing out. Not enough to draw attention.

She was good at this now.

Being present while invisible.

Playing the role while feeling nothing.

Except today, she felt something.

Anger.

Building with every false smile. Every pleasant word. Every moment she had to pretend this was normal.

At three–thirty, the Hendersons prepared to leave.

Air kisses exchanged. Promises to meet again soon. Invitations to dinner.

“Thank you for having us, Margaret. And Alina, so lovely to see you looking well. We were worried after hearing about all the stress, but you seem perfectly fine.”

“Jam,” Alina said. “Thank you for your concern.”

They left.

Margaret closed the door. Turned to Alina with a satisfied expression.

“Well done. You played your part admirably.”

“Thank you.”

“The Hendersons are influential. Their good opinion matters. Having them see you stable and content will help counter any… rumors that might circulate.”

Rumors.

About what? About Alina being held prisoner? About her father being turned away at the gate?

Margaret was already managing the narrative. Building the public image of a happy family with a slightly troubled daughter–in–law who was being well cared for.

“I understand,” Alina said.

“Good. You may go.”

Dismissed like a servant.

Alina turned to leave.

“Oh, and Alina?”

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She paused.

“Your father’s visit this morning was unfortunate. But necessary to address. I hope you understand we can’t have him showing up unannounced making wild accusations. It’s disruptive. Stressful for Junior. Bad for the family.”

Alina’s hands clenched at her sides.

“You saw him?”

“Of course. I handled the situation personally. Explained that surprise visits aren’t appropriate. That if he wants to see you, he needs to schedule properly through Daniel.”

“You turned him away.”

“I protected this family from unnecessary drama.” Margaret’s voice hardened. “Your father was aggressive. Threatening. I won’t tolerate that behavior on our property.”

Alina turned slowly.

Met Margaret’s eyes directly.

“He’s my father. He has a right to see me.

“He has a right to request a visit. Which he can do through appropriate channels. Not by showing up and making demands.”

“You banned him from the property.”

Margaret’s smile was thin. “I restricted access to individuals who pose a potential threat to household stability. Temporary measure. If your father behaves reasonably going forward, we can discuss supervised visits.”

“Supervised.”

“Yes. With appropriate notice and under controlled circumstances. For everyone’s safety and comfort.”

Alina stared at her mother–in–law.

At the woman who controlled every aspect of this house. Who manipulated every situation to maintain power.

Who thought she could control Alina forever.

“Is there something you’d like to say?” Margaret asked. Voice dangerous now. “Some objection you’d like to voice?

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Alina’s jaw tightened.

Every instinct screamed to fight. To rage. To tell Margaret exactly what she thought of her and her control and her systematic destruction of everything good.

But that’s what Margaret wanted.

An outburst. Evidence of instability. Proof that Alina was unfit. Unwell. Dangerous,

So Alina swallowed the fury.

Forced her expression to neutral.

“No, Mrs. Blackwood. No objection.”

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Margaret studied her. Suspicious of the easy compliance.

“Good. Then we understand each other.”

“Perfectly.”

Alina left before Margaret could say anything else.

Climbed the stairs to her room with measured steps.

Closed the door.

Locked it.

Then she stood in the center of the room, shaking with suppressed rage.

Margaret had won this round.

Turned away her father. Banned her family. Forced Alina to smile through tea like nothing was wrong.

But the war wasn’t over.

Not even close.

Alina moved to her desk.

Reached for the drawer where she kept her journal.

The one place she could still write the truth. Still express what she couldn’t say aloud.

Her hand froze on the handle.

Something felt wrong.

She opened the drawer slowly.

The journal was there. Exactly where she’d left it.

But the position was slightly off. Half an inch to the right of where she always placed it.

Alina pulled it out.

Examined it carefully.

The lock was still engaged. The key still in the small box beside it.

But when she unlocked the journal and opened it, the pages felt different. Slightly bent. As if someone had flipped through them quickly.

Her blood ran cold.

Someone had been in this drawer.

Someone had touched her journal.

Read it.

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Alina stood frozen, journal in hand, mind racing.

Someone had read this.

Had gone through her private thoughts. Her pain. Her desperate repetitions of the same sentence over and over.

‘I will get out of this hell.‘

Rage surged through her chest. Hot. Violent.

She wanted to scream. To throw the journal against the wall. To storm downstairs and demand answers.

But then she remembered.

The roses.

The deliberately destroyed plants that had kept her in the garden for over an hour this morning.

The convenient timing.

The elaborate setup.

It wasn’t random vandalism.

It was distraction.

Planned. Calculated.

Someone had needed her out of the room. Needed time to access this drawer. To read this journal.

And that someone had the power to order staff. To orchestrate movements. To control the household.

One name surfaced immediately.

Margaret.

Alina’s jaw hardened.

Of course.

The woman who’d banned her father from the property this morning. Who controlled every aspect of this house. Who’d systematically destroyed everything Alina cared about.

Margaret had violated her privacy.

Read her most desperate thoughts.

But why?

What did Margaret gain from reading page after page of the same sentence?

Alina stood motionless, still holding the journal.

Her mind worked through possibilities.

Evidence. Margaret was looking for evidence.

Proof of plans to leave. Contact with lawyers. Anything that could be used to declare Alina unfit.

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And what had she found instead?

Repetitive writing. Obsessive. The same words hundreds of times.

Alina’s blood ran cold.

What exactly did Margaret want by reading her journal?

Did she want to drive her out of this house? If so, Alina would gladly leave.

But judging from Margaret’s quiet movements, Alina suspected something else. The woman was planning something big.

Alina realized she had to be careful. She did want to leave this house as soon as possible and end her marriage with Daniel. But she would not allow herself to be used by anyone else–especially for someone’s personal agenda that could ultimately harm her.

Alina’s hands trembled with fury.

But she kept her posture straight. Controlled.

Because if Margaret had stolen the journal, she was also watching.

Alina’s eyes moved subtly around the room.

Looking for what she’d missed before.

The smoke detector above the bed. Slightly newer than the others in the house.

The decorative mirror frame. Ornate. With small dark spots that could be lens openings.

Her old room had cameras. Margaret had admitted as much during one of her lectures about “household security.”

This room probably did too.

Which meant someone was watching right now.

Seeing her reaction to discovering the journal had been touched.

Alina forced herself to breathe normally.

To not give them the satisfaction of seeing her break.

She sat down at the desk with deliberate calm.

Back straight. Posture composed.

Opened the journal to a fresh page.

Picked up her pen.

And began to write.

Not the same sentence this time.

Something different.

Something they could watch her write and wonder about.

‘Thank you for reading my journal. I hope you enjoyed it. Next time, ask permission first.‘

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She paused. Let the words sink in for whoever was watching.

Then continued writing. Normal journal entries now. Observations about the weather. Thoughts about books she’d read. Nothing revealing. Nothing useful.

Just enough to show she knew.

And she wasn’t afraid.

***

At Blackwood Industries, Daniel was preparing to leave when his assistant knocked.

“Sir? I have the report on Richard Hayes you requested.”

“Come in.”

The assistant entered with a tablet. “Mr. Hayes has been quite active recently. Multiple meetings with business associates. Several visits to real estate brokers.”

Daniel’s brow furrowed. “Brokers? For what?”

“We’re not certain yet. Could be looking to purchase property. Or-“The assistant hesitated.

“Or what?”

“Or looking to sell. Appraise assets. Liquidate if necessary.”

Daniel leaned back in his chair. “The Hayes family finances aren’t strong. I know that. They’ve been struggling since Richard’s business downturn five years ago.”

“Yes, sir. Which makes the broker meetings potentially significant. They may be preparing to sell their home. Downsize. Reduce expenses.”

Daniel’s discomfort grew.

Richard wasn’t meeting brokers to buy. He was meeting them to sell.

Which meant financial pressure.

Which could explain the aggressive behavior this morning.

Desperate people did desperate things.

“Anything else?” Daniel asked.

The assistant looked uncomfortable. “There is one more thing. Before Mr. Hayes came to the mansion this morning, he met with someone.”

“Who?”

“Emma Carter. Mrs. Alina’s friend.”

Daniel’s attention sharpened. “Where?”

“At a law office downtown. Rachel Chen’s practice. They met for approximately ninety minutes.”

The words landed like a punch.

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“A lawyer,” Daniel said quietly. “Richard met Emma at a lawyer’s office.”

“Yes, sir.”

“What kind of lawyer is Rachel Chen?”

The assistant consulted the tablet. “Family law. Specializes in divorce and custody cases. Also handles domestic situations, restraining orders, welfare checks.”

Daniel’s stomach dropped.

Richard wasn’t just upset.

He was building a case.

With a lawyer.

With Emma’s help.

May be for against the Blackwood family.

Against Daniel.

“Find out everything you can about Rachel Chen,” Daniel said, voice tight. “Her client list. Her success rate. What kind of cases she takes. I want to know what we’re dealing with.”

“Sir, if they’re preparing legal action-”

“Then we need to be prepared to respond. Get me a full briefing by tomorrow morning. And contact our legal team. I want them ready.”

“Yes, sir.”