The Billionaire's Insignificant Wife novel Chapter 138

The Weak Point

Daniel returned to his office after the meeting with Richard Hayes.

His steps were light. The thin smile had not left his lips.

Marcus was already waiting inside with a tablet in hand.

“Sir, the legal team has sent a complete report on Rachel Chen.”

Daniel settled into his chair. He took the tablet from Marcus. He began reading with careful attention.

Rachel Chen. Age 42. Lawyer specializing in women’s rights and domestic violence. Independent practice for the past eight years. A solid track record with a win rate above average.

Husband named David Chen. An accountant at a mid-sized firm. A stable but modest salary.

Daniel scrolled deeper. Searching for a weakness that could be exploited.

And he found it on the third page.

Rachel had one daughter. Named Sheila Chen. Age 20. A third-year student at Stanford University, majoring in Computer Science. Recipient of a full merit scholarship from the university.

Daniel stopped reading. His eyes narrowed at the detail about the scholarship.

Stanford.

A university to which the Blackwood family had been one of the largest donors for decades.

A university whose board of trustees included several names with close ties to the Blackwood family.

Daniel was smiling broadly now.

“Marcus,” he said without lifting his eyes from the screen. “What is Rachel Chen’s annual salary?”

Marcus opened another file on his tablet. “Approximately one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, Sir. Respectable for an independent attorney but not remarkable.”

“And the cost of tuition at Stanford?”

“Around eighty thousand dollars per year for tuition alone. Not including accommodation and living expenses. The total could reach a hundred thousand a year.”

Daniel nodded slowly. Running a quick calculation in his head.

With Rachel’s and her husband’s combined income of perhaps around two hundred thousand a year, they would certainly be unable to fund their daughter’s education at Stanford if the scholarship were revoked.

Especially now that the girl was in her third year. Already too far along to transfer. Already too much time and effort invested.

Daniel continued scrolling through the tablet screen. Reading deeper into the information about Rachel’s husband.

David Chen. An accountant at a mid-sized firm called Peterson & Associates.

But there was a small note at the bottom of the report that made Daniel stop.

“Marcus, what is this?” Daniel pointed to the final paragraph.

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Marcus leaned in. He read it quickly.

“Ah, that is additional information the investigation team uncovered, Sir. It appears Mr. David Chen was involved in a problematic audit case three years ago. One of his clients was found guilty of tax fraud. There were allegations that the audit conducted by Mr. Chen contained negligence that prevented the client from detecting the irregularities earlier.”

Daniel smiled coldly. “Negligence or deliberate oversight?”

“It was never proven, Sir. The case was closed with a settlement. Mr. Chen was able to continue practicing but his reputation was somewhat tarnished.”

“But if that case were reopened…” Daniel let the sentence hang. “With new evidence. With the right pressure. David Chen could lose his license.”

Marcus fell silent. He looked at Daniel with an uncomfortable expression.

“Sir, that would destroy the man’s career. Their family would-”

“Would think twice before meddling in the Blackwood family’s affairs.” Daniel closed the tablet with a sharp motion. “That is what happens to people who dare to challenge me.”

He stood. He walked to the window with his hands clasped behind his back

“So we now have two weak points,” said Daniel in a satisfied tone. “Their daughter at Stanford. And a husband’s career that could collapse at any moment if the old case is reopened.”

Daniel turned to face Marcus.

“Contact our connection at Stanford. The one in the alumni affairs office. Tell them we need to discuss the continuation of Sheila Chen’s scholarship.”

Marcus gave a stiff nod. He took out his phone.

“And Marcus,” Daniel added with a thin smile. “Also contact our legal team. Ask them to dig deeper into David Chen’s audit case from three years ago. Find all the documents. All the evidence. Everything we can use to reopen an investigation if it becomes necessary.”

“Understood, Sir.”

Marcus walked to the corner of the room to make his calls.

Daniel returned to gazing out the window with a smile of quiet satisfaction.

Rachel Chen thought she could take on the Blackwood family with her legal expertise.

But she had no idea who she was dealing with.

Daniel did not simply strike at one weak point.

He struck at everything his opponent held dear.

A daughter. A husband. A career. A future.

Until they had no choice but to surrender.

Fifteen minutes later, Marcus returned.

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“Sir, it’s done. Mr. Hardson from the scholarship office will be conducting a review of Sheila Chen’s scholarship status. He said there will be a surprise evaluation of her academic performance and eligibility.”

Daniel smiled with satisfaction. “Good. Make sure they do it soon. Within the next day or two.”

“Yes, Sir. And the legal team has already begun collecting documents on the David Chen case. They say there is some evidence that could be reinterpreted if brought before the state accounting board.”

Daniel nodded with growing satisfaction.

“Perfect. But don’t do anything with the David Chen case yet. Keep it as a trump card. We’ll use it only if Rachel proves stubborn and refuses to stand down after the first warning.”

“Understood, Sir.”

Daniel turned to face Marcus. His smile widened. Cold. Cruel.

“Clear my schedule for this afternoon. We’re going to pay Mrs. Chen a visit in person. I want to show her what happens to people who enjoy meddling in other people’s domestic affairs.”

Marcus swallowed. He did not dare comment.

He only nodded and began typing on his tablet to rearrange the schedule.

Daniel returned to his seat. He opened his laptop. He searched for more detailed information on Sheila Chen and David Chen.

A high-achieving student. An impressive GPA. Active in numerous campus organizations. An internship at a major technology company the previous summer.

A bright future awaited the girl.

A future that could be destroyed in an instant if her scholarship were revoked and her father lost his livelihood.

And Rachel Chen would surely know that.

Would surely do anything to protect her daughter’s future and her husband’s career.

Even if it meant dropping Alina’s case.

Daniel closed the laptop with a satisfied motion.

“Perfect,” he whispered. “Everyone has a weakness. And Mrs. Chen has two that are painfully obvious. It’s simply a matter of applying the right pressure to break her.”

In Rachel Chen’s office, three people sat gathered around a small conference table.

Rachel. Emma. Richard.

A heaviness hung in the air.

Richard looked the most drained. He sat with his back bowed. His hands covering his face.

“I’m useless,” he said in a hoarse voice. “I can’t do a single thing for my own daughter.”

Emma reached out. She touched Richard’s shoulder gently.

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“It’s not your fault, Uncle. Daniel prepared for everything perfectly. He knows all our vulnerabilities.”

“He pressed me with the company’s debts,” Richard continued in a bitter voice. “Clients who’ve left. Our financial situation. He used all of it to back me into a corner.”

Rachel made notes on her notepad. Her expression was composed though Emma could see the worry in her eyes.

“Daniel has resources that are nearly limitless,” said Rachel in a professional tone. “He can hire private investigators. Access financial information. Use connections to obtain data that should be private.”

“Then how do we fight him?” Emma asked with frustration. “If he knows every move we make before we even make it?”

“We have to be more careful,” Rachel answered. “And we have to focus on the one thing Daniel cannot fully control.”

“Which is?”

“Alina herself.” Rachel looked at Richard. “Mr. Hayes, Daniel said he would arrange for you to call Alina?”

Richard nodded. “Yes. But he didn’t say when. Only that it would be when Alina’s condition improves.”

“That is our opportunity,” said Rachel, her eyes sharpening. “When you speak with Alina, that is the one chance we have to confirm her real condition. Including the pregnancy Daniel has been claiming.”

Emma nodded in agreement. “Exactly. We can’t trust a medical report from a doctor who may well be in Daniel’s pocket. We need to hear directly from Alina.”

“But Daniel will certainly be monitoring that call,” said Richard. “He may even be listening in directly. How can I ask what I need to ask without raising his suspicion?”

Rachel thought for a moment. Her fingers tapping her pen against the table.

“You’ll need to use a code,” she said at last. “Something only you and Alina understand. A question or phrase that sounds ordinary but carries a hidden meaning.”

Richard furrowed his brow. “What kind of code?”

“It has to come from the two of you. A memory. An event. Something Daniel wouldn’t know the context of.”

Richard closed his eyes. Trying to think.

“There’s one thing,” he said quietly. “When Alina was young, whenever she was in trouble or frightened about something, she would always say, ‘Papa, I had a nightmare about black birds again.’ That was our code. Black birds meant something was scaring her but she couldn’t say it directly.”

Emma smiled faintly. “That’s good. You can use it. Ask if she’s been having nightmares lately. If she mentions black birds, that means she’s in danger.”

Rachel nodded. “And for the pregnancy, you can ask indirectly. For instance, ask whether she’s started thinking of names for the baby. Or whether she’s begun feeling pregnancy symptoms like nausea. From her answer, we’ll be able to tell whether she’s truly pregnant or not.”

“But what if Daniel won’t let Alina answer honestly?” asked Richard. “What if he forces her to lie?”

“We can’t prevent that,” Rachel answered honestly. “But at least we can try. And who knows – Alina might find a way to signal that she needs help.”

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Richard nodded slowly. He looked a little more hopeful now.

“All right. I’ll do it. When Daniel allows me to call, I’ll use that code.”

Emma took his hand. “We’ll be ready when it happens. Whatever you learn from that conversation, bring it to us immediately. We’ll analyze it together.”

“And remember,” Rachel added. “Don’t push if Alina seems uncomfortable or afraid. We don’t want to put her in any more danger. Her safety is the absolute priority.”

Richard nodded with glistening eyes. “Thank you. Thank you both for not giving up on Alina.”

Rachel smiled gently. “It’s my job, Mr. Hayes. And beyond that, it’s become a matter of principle. No man should be allowed to treat a wife the way Daniel has treated Alina.”

Emma nodded in agreement. “We’ll get her out of there. One way or another.”

They talked for several more minutes about strategy and possibilities.

Then Richard and Emma said their goodbyes. Both had their own affairs to return to.

Rachel walked with them to the office door.

“I’ll contact you both if there are any developments,” said Rachel. “And please let me know immediately if Daniel Blackwood reaches out about that phone call.”

“Of course,” Richard promised.

They shook hands. Richard and Emma stepped out of the office.

Rachel closed the door. She turned and walked back to her desk.

She still had a great deal of work ahead of her. Including reviewing Alina’s case. Looking for cracks in Daniel’s seemingly impenetrable defense.

Rachel sat down. She opened the thick file on the Blackwood family.

She read through her notes with careful attention.

Searching for something. Anything. That could be used against Daniel,

She had been reading for about ten minutes when a knock came at the door.

Rachel frowned. She had no client appointments this afternoon.

“Come in,” she said without looking up from the file.

The door opened. Her assistant, Sarah, peered in with a nervous expression.

“Mrs. Chen, I’m sorry to interrupt. There’s someone here to see you.”

“Who is it? I have no appointments this afternoon.”

“He says it’s very important. About the case you’re currently handling.”

Rachel lifted her head. She looked at Sarah with suspicion.

“Who-”

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But before Sarah could answer, a deep male voice drifted in from outside.

A voice that made Rachel freeze where she sat

“I apologize for disturbing your valuable working hours, Mrs. Chen. I hope you can spare some time to talk.”

Rachel rose slowly. She stared at the door, now wide open.

Daniel Blackwood stood in the doorway in a well-tailored suit. A thin smile on his lips. And cold eyes fixed directly on her.

Rachel felt the blood drain from her face,

“Mr… Mr. Daniel Blackwood?”

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Crushing the Resistance

Rachel was still standing frozen behind her desk.

Staring at Daniel Blackwood, who stood in her office doorway with a thin, unsettling smile.

Sarah, her assistant, still hovered nervously to one side.

“Mrs. Chen will see me,” Daniel said with the confidence of someone accustomed to giving orders. “Thank you, Miss. You may return to your desk.”

Sarah glanced at Rachel with eyes that sought permission.

Rachel gave a stiff nod. “It’s all right, Sarah. Please step out. And close the door behind you.”

Sarah nodded quickly. She left with hurried steps and pulled the door shut behind her.

Leaving Rachel alone with the man she and Emma had been discussing only minutes ago.

The man they had been planning to oppose.

The man who now stood in her office with cold eyes and a smile that concealed layers of threat.

Daniel walked in with unhurried steps. He surveyed Rachel’s small office with a measuring expression.

“A comfortable office,” he remarked as he moved around the room. “Simple but professional. I appreciate that.”

Rachel did not move from her position. Her hands gripped the edge of the desk to hide the trembling.

“What are you doing here, Mr. Blackwood?” she asked in a voice that fought to sound firm.

Daniel stopped at the bookshelf. He picked up one of the legal volumes with a casual gesture.

“Straight to the point. I respect people who don’t waste time.” He set the book back. He turned to face Rachel. ” I’m here to discuss a small matter that has come to my attention recently,”

“A small matter?”

“Yes. The matter of you attempting to interfere in my domestic affairs.”

Rachel swallowed. She worked to maintain a composed expression.

“I don’t know what you’re referring to, Mr. Blackwood. I’m simply running my legal practice as I normally would.”

Daniel smiled more broadly. Coldly.

“Mrs. Chen, let’s not play games. We both know you’ve been meeting with Richard Hayes several times this week. Meeting with Emma Carter. Discussing how to take Alina out of my home,”

He moved closer. He stopped directly in front of Rachel’s desk.

“You are building a case to accuse me of confining my own wife. Perhaps even planning to accuse me of domestic violence. Am I wrong?”

Rachel lifted her chin. Trying to appear unafraid.

“If there is domestic violence, it is my duty as a lawyer to assist the victim. That is not a crime, Mr. Blackwood.”

“Of course it isn’t a crime,” Daniel agreed. “But it is also not a wise decision. Especially when you involve yourself

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with a family that has the resources to protect itself.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Not a threat, Mrs. Chen.” Daniel sat down in the chair across from Rachel’s desk without being invited. “Simply a factual observation about the consequences of certain actions.”

He crossed his legs with ease. As though he were chatting about the weather.

“For instance,” he continued in a casual tone. “I have recently learned that your daughter, Sheila Chen, attends Stanford on a full scholarship. A tremendously talented young woman. High GPA. A bright future ahead of her.”

Rachel felt the blood drain from her face.

“Leave my daughter out of this.”

“I’m not involving anyone, Mrs. Chen. I’m only stating facts.” Daniel smiled thinly. “The fact that Stanford is a university the Blackwood family has supported financially for decades. The fact that we have strong ties to the board of trustees. The fact that scholarships like the one Sheila received can be reviewed at any time if there are… concerns about a recipient’s eligibility.”

“My daughter earned that scholarship!” Rachel nearly raised her voice. “She is one of the top students in her class! There is no grounds to revoke it!”

“Of course there are no grounds. At present.” Daniel rose slowly. “But university policy is complex. Sometimes there are reevaluations. Administrative oversights. Or perhaps it is discovered that another candidate is more deserving of those limited funds.”

He walked to the window. He stood gazing out with his hands in his pockets.

“Imagine how devastating it would be for Sheila if, suddenly in her third year, her scholarship were revoked. She would have to leave Stanford. Or you and your husband would have to find a way to pay a hundred thousand dollars a year for the rest of her education.”

Rachel felt tears fill her eyes. But she held them back.

“You’re despicable,” she whispered in a shaking voice.

Daniel turned. He met her gaze with cold eyes.

“I am a businessman, Mrs. Chen. And I protect my family by whatever means necessary.”

He walked back to the front of the desk.

“And speaking of family, I have also learned that your husband David has a rather… interesting past. A problematic audit case several years ago. Allegations of negligence that were never proven but also never fully cleared.”

Rachel closed her eyes. She felt the noose tightening.

“It would be a great shame,” Daniel continued in a tone of manufactured sympathy. “If that case were reopened. If new evidence emerged suggesting David may have been more deeply involved than originally believed. He could lose his accounting license. His career would be ruined. And your family would lose its primary source of income.”

Daniel sat back down. He leaned back with complete ease.

“So the situation is clear, Mrs. Chen. You have two choices. The first: you continue helping Richard Hayes and Emma Carter. You continue building a case against me. And you face the consequences for your daughter and your

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husband.”

He paused for a moment. Letting the words settle.

“Or the second: you step away from this case. You stop communicating with Richard and Emma about Alina. And your family remains safe. Sheila keeps her scholarship. David continues working without disruption. Everything will be just fine.”

Rachel looked at Daniel with eyes full of hatred and helplessness.

She wanted to fight back. Wanted to declare she was not afraid of his threats.

But she knew that was a lie.

She was afraid.

Afraid of what Daniel could do to her family.

To Sheila’s future, which could be shattered in an instant.

To David’s career, which could collapse with a single report.

Rachel went silent. Unable to answer. Unable to find the words.

Daniel smiled at that silence. A smile of victory crossed his face. He knew his threats had landed on Rachel. Only a little more pressure was needed to make her stand down.

“I hope your silence is bringing you toward a wise answer, Mrs. Chen.”

Daniel took out his phone. He typed a brief message.

Rachel sat still with trembling hands in her lap.

Daniel pressed send. He slipped his phone back into his pocket.

“I hope your decision proves beneficial to us both. So that neither of us needs to feel wronged.”

But before Rachel could respond, the phone on her desk rang.

Sheila.

Rachel stared at the screen with wide eyes.

Daniel smiled. “Please, answer it. That must be your daughter calling.”

Rachel picked up the phone with trembling hands. She answered in a voice that barely came out.

“Sheila? Sweetheart?”

Her daughter’s voice came through in a panic from the other end.