Bitcoin Billionaire: I Regressed to Invest in the First Bitcoin!-Chapter 323: Ava Monroe

"Have I met that woman before?" Cheyenne leaned over slightly to whisper in Darren's ear.

Darren, his eyes still locked on the feminine figure, whispered back. "Perhaps you remember Moonlight Diamonds? The romance heist TV series with the red-haired woman who later dies in Season 5?"

"Oh yes. That's Ava Monroe? Isn't this interesting?" Then she eyed Darren again, but with a little more confusion in her gaze. "But what do you mean Season 5? Moonlight Diamonds only just released Season 2. And Lara doesn't die."

Darren looked at her, slightly guilty. It was a timeline slip. "Oh, my bad. Must have confused her with another TV show."

"Mhm," Cheyenne gave him a final suspicious look before she returned to the woman who had entered the room.

The way Ava Monroe glided into the boardroom of the Bordeaux Banquet it was undeniable that she had no fear of an audience at all. She moved effortlessly, carrying the poise of someone who commanded spotlights for a living.

Her dark hair fell in loose, glossy waves that framed her heart-shaped face like a frame around a priceless painting. Her eyes were striking blue, glittering with ideas, adventure and a hint of mischief. She had nicely shaped breasts, swelling out of her slender frame, and an unbelievably slim waist that cinched before widening into hips swaying with the rhythm of a true movie star.

Her legs were long and toned, her feet covered in strappy Chanel heels that clicked on the marble floor as she came in. As for what covered her stunning body, it was a Prada V-neck, glittering with a blue that matched her eyes and made with folds tightly secured all over her curvaceous body.

At 28, Ava was the epitome of Hollywood glamour. She was a two-time Academy Award nominee, first for Wildflower Road at just twenty-two, then again three years later for her transformational role in Glass Kingdom. The industry had expected brilliance; what she delivered was mythmaking.

Her mantle carried two Golden Globes, both from different genres: drama/comedy and a musical. That was impressive because it was almost impossible to win a Golden Globe for a musical. Journalists wrote think-pieces about the "Monroe Effect," the strange gravitational pull she seemed to exert on every production she touched.

Her breakout action film, Crimson Halo, didn't only top the box office but it went on to shatter July records, cementing her as one of the few actresses who could open a billion-dollar franchise on name recognition alone. Studio executives whispered that she was "bulletproof," a rare talent whose films succeeded even when the marketing faltered or the scripts sagged.

Just this same year, as Darren rose to the height of his own business, Vanity Fair named her the most powerful actress in Hollywood under 30, citing the unprecedented clause in her contracts granting her script consultation, stylist approval, and a backend percentage normally reserved for seasoned male leads.

Time placed her on its 100 Most Influential People list, praising her "meteoric rise marked not by scandal, but by relentless excellence."

She had already earned two SAG Awards, a BAFTA nomination, and the elusive Cannes Best Actress Award, achieved with a performance so devastating that the festival audience reportedly sat in stunned silence for a full ten seconds after the credits rolled.

Darren thought it made sense why Sophie wanted her to be in her magazine so bad.

However, why was she here?

Did she really want to purchase shares of his own company?

Ava carried a slim portfolio under one arm, her presence filling the space like a star stepping onto a red carpet, turning the formal interview into something almost cinematic.

Stunned as he was, Darren couldn't allow himself to be caught off guard, staring at her, and so he straightened slightly in his chair, his black suit shifting over his broad shoulders.

If Ms Monroe truly planned to buy some of his shares, then surely she expected that her influence would somehow tip the tides in his favor, but she would be wrong. Darren wasn't going to kowtow to popularity, beauty, or media influence. Not today. Not when it came to his precious company.

"Ava Monroe," he said her name, his voice carrying a note of his genuine, although calmer surprise mixed with polite warmth, his cold eyes softening just a fraction as he stood to greet her. He extended a hand, and when she accepted, his grip lingered a second longer than necessary.

"I will be honest, I didn't expect to see you here. A decorated actress like you of all people applying for a shareholder spot in Steele Investments."

Ava's blue eyes played around his with a playful spark, her full lips curving into a smile that was equal parts charming and flirtatious.

Her handshake was firmer than he expected. and confident, her fingers brushing his palm in a way that sent a subtle electric charge through the air. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Mr. Steele." She then shook Cheyenne's. "Mrs. Lamb. I am grateful to be here. It's a pleasure."

Cheyenne smiled weakly. "Welcome, we're curious to hear what you have to offer."

This was a surprise even for her. She had not expected that her whistleblower to get shareholder prospects would actually end up bringing in one of the youngest most influencing women in the world.

But she also had the same question as Darren. Why would a woman who works in Hollywood want anything to do with Darren's Bitcoin empire.

"Do you know, Mr. Steele," Ava said as she took her seat. She had a lively, friendly voice, though not completely free of the class her wealth gave her. "This is amusing but we've actually crossed paths before, though you might not remember."

"We have?" He asked.

"I was one of the special guests at your club opening, the Pantheon. But more than that, we're neighbors. Did you not know or did you forget? In Greenbaby, your estate's just down the road from mine."

Darren's eyes glinted with recollection. That was true. He remembered even the agent saying it back then. Ava Monroe was his neighbor in Greenbaby.

"Oh yes. How could I forget?" Darren leaned forward. "We're all so secluded in that street that it doesn't really feel like we're neighbors."

Ava smiled. "Yeah, I understand completely. Security and all. Oh, I wanted to congratulate you on the Pantheon by the way. It is actually a nice place."

"Is that your honest opinion?" Darren asked her with a squint of his eyes.

"A hundred percent," she said with a one-shoulder-shrug. "I spotted you a few nights ago in the VIP lounge, holding court like the king of the night."

She tilted her head slightly, her dark hair cascading over one shoulder, her gaze holding his with an intensity that felt personal, almost intimate, as if sharing a secret in a crowded room. "And you give fine wine." She turned to Cheyenne. "The Bordeaux being a great example. Excellent taste, Miss Lamb."

Cheyenne held a knowing smile. But she and Darren knew what was going on here. Whether what Ava was saying was honest or not, she was clearly saying it for a reason. To get to their good sides before she made her offers.

For someone who'd spent more time on green screens rather than boardrooms, Ava sure did know her way around making deals.

Even the way she had said "holding court" carried a teasing lilt, her body leaning in just a fraction in a manner that screamed subtle flirtation.

Cheyenne, seated beside Darren in her exquisite purple gown—the silk draping her voluptuous curves like a royal cloak, accentuating the deep cleavage of her full breasts and the seductive flare of her hips—watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow, her mature features sharpening with a mix of amusement and territorial edge. Neighbors? Nightclub visits?

This starlet's laying it on thick, she thought, her ego stirring as she noted the prolonged handshake, the way Ava's eyes lingered on Darren's face.

Cheyenne's own seductive vibe—articulate, commanding, with that boss-like confidence—simmered beneath the surface, but she held back for now, observing how Darren handled the unexpected charm.

Any woman could tell when her fellow woman was being seductive, the only thing left for Cheyenne to figure out was why.

What was Ava Monroe's endgame here?