The Billionaire's Insignificant Wife novel Chapter 91

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The Tightening Grip

Alina stood by the window at nine thirty, watching the driveway.

She had rehearsed this in her mind a dozen times.

Stay calm. Answer questions simply. Show no emotion. Get to the clinic. Trust Rachel.

Her bag was hidden in the closet. Her notebook tucked inside. Everything ready.

Footsteps in the corridor made her turn.

Too heavy for Mrs. Helen.

The door opened.

Daniel stood there in a charcoal suit, car keys in hand.

“I’m taking you to the appointment,” he said.

No preamble. No explanation.

Just a statement of fact delivered in the same tone he used for business meetings.

Alina’s heart dropped into her stomach.

“I thought Mr. Harris was driving,” she managed. Her voice came out steadier than she felt.

“Change of plans.” Daniel checked his watch. “We need to leave in ten minutes. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

No point arguing. No point asking why. The answer wouldn’t change anything.

He left the door open, waiting.

Alina collected her purse with hands that wanted to shake but didn’t. Left the packed bag in the closet. Took only what she would normally take to a doctor’s appointment.

Walked past Daniel into the corridor where he fell into step beside her.

Not behind. Beside.

The Mercedes was already running when they reached it.

Daniel opened the passenger door. Waited until she was seated. Closed it with a firm click.

She watched him walk around the front of the car, his movements unhurried, and felt her mind racing through

scenarios.

Rachel was expecting her to arrive with Mrs. Helen and Mr. Harris. Expected a certain dynamic. A certain vulnerability she could work with.

Not Daniel.

Not this.

He got in, adjusted the mirror, pulled out of the driveway without speaking.

They drove in silence for the first five minutes.

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Alina stared out the window and tried to think.

The clinic was real. Dr. Catherine Blake was a real doctor. The appointment was legitimate even if Rachel had arranged it with other purposes in mind.

She could still go through with it.

Unless Daniel planned to sit in the examination room.

Unless he had already spoken to Dr. Blake.

Unless this entire thing had been compromised before it began.

“You should tell Emma to stop interfering,” Daniel said.

Alina turned to look at him.

His eyes stayed on the road. Hands steady on the wheel. Expression giving nothing away.

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said carefully.

“Yes, you do.”

He reached into his jacket pocket with one hand, pulled out his phone, tapped the screen a few times, then handed it to her.

Alina took it.

A photograph filled the screen.

A woman in scrubs. Thirties. Dark hair pulled back. ID badge visible. St. Mary’s Hospital. Pediatric Unit.

Her hands started trembling before she could stop them.

“That’s Nurse Jessica Moreno,” Daniel said, his voice still calm. Still controlled. “She’s been working the night shift on Junior’s floor for the past three days. And this morning at six forty–five, she was observed entering Junior’s room, spending ninety seconds alone with him, and then making a phone call from the staff break room immediately afterward.”

Alina stared at the photo.

Emma’s inside person.

The one who had sent those messages. Who had documented Junior waking. Who had been close enough to hear him ask for her.

Caught.

“Security ran her information,” Daniel continued. “Found out she graduated from nursing school with Emma. They were roommates for two years. Very close.”

Alina’s throat was too tight to speak.

“I had her removed from Junior’s floor this morning. She’s been reassigned to a different unit. Her supervisor has been informed that she is not to have any contact with my son or access to his medical records. If she violates that, I will pursue legal action for breach of patient privacy and professional misconduct.”

He said it all in the same even tone he might use to discuss stock portfolios.

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“Emma recruited her,” Daniel said. “Paid her probably. Or called in a favor. Either way, she was there to spy. To gather information she had no right to access. To report back to you through whatever channel you’ve been using to communicate.”

Alina handed the phone back with shaking hands.

“I won’t press charges this time,” Daniel said, pocketing it. “But if Emma or anyone connected to her attempts to interfere with Junior’s care again, I will blacklist her from every medical facility in this state. She’ll never work in nursing again. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

The word came out barely audible.

Daniel reached across and took something from the center console.

Alina’s phone.

Her real phone. The one that had been confiscated weeks ago.

He held it out to her.

“You can have this back,” he said. “All your contacts are still there. You can call whoever you want. But every call and text will be monitored. Every app. Every search. Consider it a courtesy that I’m returning it at all.”

Alina took the phone with numb fingers.

“One more thing,” Daniel said, his voice dropping lower. “If you make trouble, there will be consequences.”

He pulled up to a red light and finally turned to look at her directly.

“I’m trying to be patient with you, Alina. I know you’re upset about Junior. I know this situation is difficult. But – you need to understand that fighting me accomplishes nothing except making things worse for everyone. Including him.”

The light turned green.

He drove.

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