The Billionaire's Insignificant Wife novel Chapter 189

Daniel arrived at the mansion close to midnight.

The moment the front door opened, he knew his night would not end quietly.

Margaret was already waiting in the living room, seated with rigid posture on the sofa, her expression cold and full of disapproval she made no effort to conceal.

Daniel exhaled inwardly. He had no desire to deal with his mother tonight.

"Mama," he greeted her flatly, shrugging off his jacket. "What are you doing here this late?"

Margaret rose from the sofa and walked toward him. "This is still my house, Daniel. I can come and go whenever I please."

"Then goodnight. It's late." Daniel turned toward the stairs.

"I'm not finished."

Margaret's voice stopped him in his tracks.

Daniel turned slowly, his patience wearing thin. "What is it you want to talk about?"

Margaret fixed him with a sharp look. "I've heard what you've been doing. You've been poaching business partners from the Montgomery Group. Attacking them openly."

Daniel said nothing. His face stayed blank.

"Why would you do that?" Margaret continued, her voice hardening. "Montgomery may not be as large as Blackwood Enterprises. But they're not a small company, Daniel. They have connections, they have history. They won't stand by and let themselves be treated this way. You're creating enemies for no clear reason."

"I don't care," Daniel said coldly. "I only wanted to send a message."

"A message?" Margaret's voice rose. Her eyes narrowed, a suspicion that had been simmering for too long finally breaking through to the surface. "Is this because of Alina? Again — Alina!"

Daniel stayed silent, and his silence was the answer.

"Will you never stop chasing that woman?" Margaret stepped closer, her voice laden with a frustration she had held in far too long. "How long will this go on, Daniel? Until you've destroyed yourself? You killed a journalist. You attacked someone's company. You're gambling everything — your name, your reputation, your future — for a woman who doesn't even want you!"

"I WILL NOT BE DESTROYED!"

Daniel's shout filled the room, reverberating off the high walls of the mansion.

Margaret flinched, stepping back involuntarily.

It was the first time — in her entire life — that she had heard her son raise his voice like that. With emotion so raw, so unguarded. Daniel, who was always cold, always composed, always hiding his feelings behind walls of ice — had just shattered in front of her.

And in that moment, Margaret truly understood.

Her son had been consumed by obsession. Completely.

"The ones who will be destroyed are the people trying to tear us apart," Daniel continued, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. "Not me. Never me."

Margaret stared at him, something that resembled fear creeping into her eyes. "Daniel... you're the one who will be destroyed if you keep chasing this madness. Listen to me. Let Alina go. Let her leave." Her voice softened, shifting into something coaxing. "It's better if you go back to Clarissa. She's Junior's mother. You have history together. Build a good life with her, and forget Alina—"

"No."

One word. Firm. Final.

"Alina is my wife," Daniel said, his voice dropping back to low but filled with a terrible resolve. "And she will remain my wife. Forever."

He looked at his mother with cold, steady eyes.

"And enough, Mama. You have interfered in my life long enough. You were the one who chose Alina for me to marry. You were also the one who let Clarissa back into this house without my permission. You've always managed, always controlled, always decided." His jaw tightened. "But not this time. I will not give up on Alina. Whatever you say."

Margaret looked at him, her lips trembling. "Daniel—"

"Mr. Harris!" Daniel called out, cutting his mother off.

Her hands gripped the door handle tightly, her knuckles white. Her heart pounded with something far beyond simple shock.

Fear.

All this time, Daniel had always deferred to Margaret. Had always respected his mother, however cold their relationship. Margaret was the one person who could rein Daniel in — the one person whose words he always listened to.

But tonight, Daniel had dared to shout. Had dared to throw Margaret out of the house.

For Alina.

Clarissa thought of Steven Walsh's death — the journalist she had hired, now lying cold under a suicide label she knew was a lie. She thought of the look in Daniel's eyes when he threatened her just nights ago. She thought of everything that had changed since Alina entered their lives.

All because of Alina.

That woman had changed Daniel. Had made him lose control, lose reason, lose every boundary he once still possessed.

And if Daniel was willing to defy Margaret for Alina — if he was willing to kill for Alina — then there was nothing left to stop him. Nothing was safe anymore. Not even Clarissa herself.

"It's all because of Alina," Clarissa whispered, her voice shaking with a mixture of hatred and fear. "She's the one who turned Daniel into this."

Her thoughts spiraled darker and darker, until they finally landed on one cold, terrible conclusion.

"It would be better if Alina just died."

The words slipped from her lips before she could stop them — soft, full of poison, born from desperation and fear fused into one.

Then, without warning, a small voice broke the silence from the direction of the bed.

"Mommy? What is Mommy doing?"