The Billionaire's Insignificant Wife novel Chapter 25

A Father’s Defeat

At exactly ten o’clock, an old sedan stopped in front of Blackwood Mansion.

Richard Hayes got out with slow movements–back slightly hunched, shoulders slumped, face looking ten years older than their last meeting a month ago.

Alina stood behind the curtains of her room, looking at her father with a tight chest.

The man who once stood upright with dignity despite losing everything–now looked defeated. Broken. And Alina knew who did this.

The bedroom door opened. Mr. Harris stood there with an unreadable expression.

“Mrs Blackwood, Mr. Hayes has arrived. Mr. Blackwood requests you come down to the living room.”

Alina quickly wiped her eyes–didn’t want her father to see traces of tears..

“I understand.”

She followed Mr. Harris downstairs with heavy steps. Each step felt like walking toward an execution.

In the living room, Richard stood near the window–looking at the garden with hands behind his back. A posture trying to maintain composure.

“Papa…”

Richard turned. And when their eyes met, something broke in the old man’s face.

“Alina…”

His voice cracked. Eyes welling up.

Alina almost ran–wanting to hug her father–but Mr. Harris clearing his throat behind her reminded her they were being

watched.

Richard stepped closer, looking at his daughter with eyes sweeping from head to toe–assessing. And what he saw made his jaw

harden.

Alina was thin. Face pale. Eyes swollen. Hair not styled as usual. Simple dress she usually wore at home–not the elegant outfit Mrs. Blackwood typically wore.

She looked like a shadow. A ghost of the woman who was once confident and vibrant.

“Sit down, Papa,” Alina said in a voice trying to be steady. “Mr. Harris, could you please ask Mrs. Helen to make tea?”

Mr. Harris nodded, stepping back but not going far–still in the corridor, still within earshot. Still watching

Richard sat on the sofa with stiff movements. Alina sat across from him–maintaining proper, formal distance. Like strangers,

not father and daughter.

“You’re thin,” Richard said softly. “Are you eating well?”

“I’m fine, Papa.”

“Don’t lie to your father.” Richard’s voice was firm now. “I see you, Alina. I see eyes that can’t lie.”

Alina looked down, staring at her slightly trembling hands in her lap.

“How’s Mama? Is she healthy?”

Richard paused for a moment–recognizing the deflection but allowing it. “Your mother is fine. She sends her regards. She

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wanted to come, but I said… this might not be the right time.”

Richard didn’t want his wife to see what was happening to their daughter. Didn’t want her to witness Alina slowly dying in this luxurious mansion.

Awkward silence. Heavy.

Mr. Harris returned with tea, placed the tray, then retreated to his position in the corridor.

Richard took a cup but didn’t drink. Just held it–needing something to do with his restless hands.

“You know why I’m here,” Richard finally said, voice low.

Alina looked at her father. “Daniel asked you to come.”

“Yes.” Richard put down the cup with a sound that was too loud. “He called me last night. Midnight. About… about the loan.”

Alina s hands clenched in her lap.

“He talked about the material breach clause. About non–cooperation in family arrangements. About…” Richard closed his eyes briefly, “…about the possibility of accelerating repayment if you don’t cooperate.”

The words came out with difficulty–each syllable painful.

“Eight point two million dollars, Alina. We don’t have that kind of money. Not even a quarter of that amount. If Daniel really does this…”

Richard didn’t need to continue. Alina knew the consequences.

The house would be seized. The small business her father tried to build from scratch would collapse. Everything remaining of the Hayes family would be gone.

“Does Papa know what Daniel wants from me?” Alina asked in a too–calm voice.

Richard nodded–slow, painful. “He wants you to cooperate. Persuade Junior to accept Clarissa as his mother. Support the transition. And… stop being resistant.”

Alina laughed a bitter sound, without humor. “So he wants me to give up my child. Persuade Junior to forget me. Pretend that five years together meant nothing.”

“Alina-”

“And if I don’t want to do that,” Alina looked at her father with burning eyes. “If I refuse, he’ll make you lose everything. The

house. The business. Your future.”

Richard clenched his fists. His head bowed.

“I’m sorry…” His voice cracked. “For having to say that Papa is asking you to cooperate. For the sake of the family. For Mama who’s getting old. For your brother who’s still in college.”

Alina looked closely at her father, seeing tears flowing on the face of the man she once thought was the strongest in the world.

“Papa has no choice.”

Richard’s tears flowed harder.

Alina cried too. Seeing her father’s desperation. She understood the burden her father felt.

“Forgive Papa,” Richard whispered in a broken voice. “Forgive Papa who sold you into this marriage. Forgive Papa who doesn’t have the power to protect you. Forgive Papa who came here with the intention to pressure you—

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“Papa, you don’t need to apologize Alina held her father’s hand which immediately gripped desperately. “This is all not

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Papa’s fault. Marrying Daniel was my decision.”

Richard shook his head. His tears fell again.

“For five years Papa watched you slowly disappear. For five years Papa heard your voice on the phone getting emptier. Papa knew. Papa always knew. But Papa was a coward who didn’t dare to confront this.”

Richard’s tears fell onto Alina’s hand that he held.

“And now–now Papa comes here to ask you to sacrifice even more. To ask you to let go of the child you love. To ask you to become a puppet for Daniel Blackwood.”

Richard looked at his daughter with broken eyes. “I’m not a good father. Forgive me,

Alina.”

“No. Papa has always been the best father for me,” Alina whispered, tears streaming down her face. “Papa is a father who always tries to survive. Who tries to protect the family.”

“But Papa has sacrificed you?” Richard shook his head hard. “That’s not protecting. That’s cowardice.”

Alina hugged her father tightly. They held each other’s hands, crying with silent sobs.

“Listen to Papa, Alina,” Richard whispered in a voice that was firm despite trembling. “You don’t need to cooperate. You don’t need to sacrifice Junior. Papa will find another way. Papa will sell whatever is left. Papa will work until death if necessary. But Papa won’t let Daniel force you like this.”

Alina shook her head. She knew it was impossible. Especially in the Hayes family’s poor economic situation.

“A house is just a building!” Richard said with rare intensity. “Business can be rebuilt. Money can be earned. But you–Papa’s daughter and your happiness–that can’t be replaced.”

Alina cried on her father’s shoulder–everything she had held back finally released. All the fear, pain, desperation–came out in sobs that made her body shake.

“Papa actually came here to say that,” Richard whispered, holding his daughter’s head. “Papa won’t let you be alone.”

But they both

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this embrace, this comfort–was temporary.

Because Richard didn’t have the power to truly protect Alina. Couldn’t take her away. Couldn’t fight Daniel Blackwood with the resources he had

After a few minutes, Alina pulled away–quickly wiping tears.

“Papa doesn’t need to worry. I’ll handle everything here,” Alina said in a voice trying to be steady. “I know what Papa means. But if Daniel knows what you just said, he could pressure Papa harder.”

“Alina-”

“I’ll be fine,” Alina cut in. “I promise everything will be fine. I’ll find a way for us.”

Alina wiped tears with trembling hands. “Daniel is right, Junior still has Clarissa. She’s his biological mother. Maybe… maybe with time, Junior will be happy with her. Will forget about me.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I have to.” Alina smiled–sad, broken. “Because the alternative is too painful.”

Richard looked at his daughter with a mixture of pride and heartbreak. Pride because Alina was willing to sacrifice for the family. Heartbreak because he was the one who made this sacrifice necessary.

“I’ll find a way,” Richard said desperately. “I’ll find a lawyer. Find loopholes in the contract. Will

“That contract is ironclad, Papa. Daniel made it. And Daniel Blackwood never makes mistakes in business.

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Alina stepped closer, holding both her father’s hands. “Go home. Tell Mama I’m fine. Tell my brother to focus on college. And don’t… don’t come again until I contact you.”

“Alina-”

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“Please.” Her voice cracked now. “I won’t be able to survive if Papa keeps coming. Won’t be able to pretend everything’s okay if I keep seeing Papa’s eyes full of guilt.”

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