Bitcoin Billionaire: I Regressed to Invest in the First Bitcoin!-Chapter 73: Brooklyn Bomb

Her breath caught in her throat and her heart pounded against her ribs.

It was like in that second, she could see herself being dragged into the abyss, into the life she once had under Gareth Smithers.

The life Darren had saved her from.

Rachel turned to Darren, her silver blue eyes wide with fear and confusion.

She had only wanted to work for him. To make sure everything was done right. She hadn't thought this would happen. Hadn't thought she'd be recognized.

She should've listened to him.

Darren saw the look she gave him. It was apologetic, almost pleading. As if she was bracing for his disappointment.

He didn't give her that. He wasn't disappointed with her. Instead, his gaze sharpened as he turned back to the men in suits.

The businessman still looked confused, glancing between Darren and Rachel to figure out what was happening.

Rachel swallowed hard, straightening her shoulders and speaking with her formal voice of ice.

"I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else," she said, voice carefully even. "I'm not Gareth Smithers's secretary."

The man frowned. He looked at his companion, who also seemed uncertain.

"Are you sure? I'm almost very certain that you are…"

Before he could continue, Darren stepped in, his expression darkening like a storm rolling in. "Hey," he cut in, voice low, edged with warning. "Didn't you hear her? She's not the person you think she is. Now get out of our way."

For a moment, the men hesitated.

They looked at him with questions in their eyes. Who was this guy?

To them, Darren was a young man, not older than twenty-two, but there was something about the way he spoke.

Like some powerful people, his presence came with an aura — one that made them pause. His confidence, his command. There was authority inside of it, that certainly shouldn't belong to someone his age.

Whoever this guy was, the two certainly didn't want to get on his bad side.

"Ah, yes," one of them finally muttered, clearing his throat. "I apologize."

The other nodded stiffly, and just like that, they stepped aside.

Ignoring them, Darren's hand brushed Rachel's arm lightly, then grabbed her palm reassuringly, before turning. "Let's go," he said.

Rachel followed him without a word, still shaken, still processing.

As they left the State Office, she glanced back at the men, seeing them watching them leave with curiosity and confusion in their expressions.

Rachel lowered her head worriedly and simply followed after Darren. She only spoke when they were inside the car, away from prying eyes.

Silence first, for a while. Darren was glaring into the office like he could see through.

He must be angry, Rachel thought.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I should've listened to you about coming here."

Darren sighed as he gripped the steering wheel, but his tone was steady, calm. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

Her brows jumped up.

"It's fine," he continued. "I can't be angry with you for doing what benefits me. You put yourself in jeopardy just to make sure things went smoothly for me. I'd be unfair to hold that against you."

Rachel exhaled shakily, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. Her gaze danced around his face as she thought. How much nicer can he be?

But Darren's eyes darkened again as he looked at the Secretary of State through the car's front window.

"But those men," he said, voice clipped. "They'll get a hold of Gareth Smithers soon enough. And they'll tell him they saw you with me."

Darren almost grunted. "I have to think of something fast."

Rachel swallowed, her eyes fixed even deeper on him.

Every second that past, it became clearer that she could trust this man. She'd only wished she'd summoned the courage to talk to him back when they worked together.

She could have used a friend. And she had a feeling that he would have as well.

Whatever the case, now, her fear had shifted into something else. Trust.

Somehow she knew he would figure it out. Like he always has.

He would take care of her and she would take care of his business. That is why it was so important for her to do things like this.

It was the only real way she could pay him back for what he was doing for her. Her eyes lowered down his neck.

Unless... would he want?

Her cheeks reddened.

No. She shook her head, pressing the hem of her gown. What was she even thinking? That's... inappropriate.

Silent now, she stole another glance at him and saw him click into action, starting the car and driving out of the lot.

The drive was mostly quiet, not necessarily tense.

Rachel didn't know where they were going until the scenery changed, shifting from the city's organized chaos to a more private, exclusive district.

Large estates lined the streets, their driveways long, their entrances grand.

She recognized this place as Greenbaby, one of the most expensive private/government owned streets in the state reserved for the wealthy.

Did Darren live here?

As though answering her question, Darren pulled into his own property.

Rachel was stunned. It was a sprawling mansion, elegant in its structure, and that beautiful, pristine fountain at the front.

Even the pathway leading up to the house looked like it belonged in a magazine.

And that car... There was someone beside it.

A woman?

Darren had seen the woman too. His entire body seemed to tense at the sight of her and her car parked by the fountain.

"Who's that?" Rachel asked, still distracted by the mansion. "Wait... I know her."

Darren didn't reply. He pushed open his door, moving quickly. Rachel reached for her own door, but before she could touch the handle, Darren was already there, opening it for her.

His eyes flicked toward the woman waiting by the fountain, sharp with irritation.

Rachel got out but hesitated.

"Go inside," Darren told her firmly. "Wait for me."

She glanced toward the woman, who smiled at her— smug, amused. Then she lifted a hand, wiggling her fingers in a lazy wave.

Rachel didn't respond. She turned and walked toward the house, doing exactly as Darren told her.

Darren, on the other hand, stomped toward Brooklyn, his patience already running thin.

She watched him approach, arms crossed, eyes dancing with mischief. "Is that who I think it is?" she mused. "Mr. Steele, you impress me by the moment."

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

Once he stood feet to feet with her, Darren went at it, not wasting time with pleasantries. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Brooklyn raised a brow.

"This is the second time you've trespassed on my property. Third time rather. You're a journalist, not a private investigator. You can't keep sneaking onto a private street just because you have an overinflated sense of entitlement."

She smirked. But this time, her pretense wasn't perfect. The hurt in her eyes showed slightly.

Darren didn't care.

"You harass people for a living," he continued, tone biting. "You dig into their lives, spin stories for your own amusement, and have the audacity to call it journalism." He scoffed. "I don't know what's more pathetic— your relentless need to stick your nose where it doesn't belong or the fact that you actually believe you're some kind of righteous truth-seeker."

Brooklyn's smirk faltered, but Darren wasn't done.

"And don't even get me started on Business Everyday. If I had a dollar for every sensationalist, half-baked headline your studio pushed out, I'd be richer than I already am. But I guess that's what happens when you sell out integrity for views, huh?"

Brooklyn's jaw tightened.

Darren shook his head. "I don't have time for whatever nonsense you came here for, so why don't you turn around, get back in your car, and go find another scandal to exploit?"

Silence stretched between them. Brooklyn threw her face down like she was holding back emotions, lips pressed thinly.

Then she lifted her head and said, "I left."

Darren's brows creased. "What?"

Brooklyn crossed her arms again, but there was something different in her stance now. It was less smug, more… restrained. "I left Business Everyday. I don't work there anymore."

Darren stared at her.

"What?!"