Bitcoin Billionaire: I Regressed to Invest in the First Bitcoin!
Chapter 239 - 239: Apology

The Mercedes screeched to a halt, gravel crunching under its tires in the dead of the Zurich night.

The blindfolds were yanked off Darren and Rachel's faces, the coarse fabric leaving their skin raw. Darren turned to his right and saw Ileana sitting beside them, her green eyes glinting, a soft expression on her face.

The Triad gunmen, shoved them out onto the cold pavement. Darren's boots hit the ground first, but he found his posture quickly. Rachel stumbled slightly, but Darren helped her stand, though she didn't thank him.

She just turned the other way.

Darren frowned. He deserved that.

The walked towards their car waiting ahead, parked under a flickering streetlamp.

The Triad's hunky driver, a broad-shouldered man with a buzzcut and a lotus tattoo on his forearm, leaned against the Mercedes, his eyes cold as he watched them go.

"Stay away from Zurich, American!" he barked. Darren didn't look back, he only hastened his steps, folding his sleeves as Rachel and Ileana followed.

The two women glanced at each other continuously but said nothing to each other.

Darren's muscly driver stepped forward. "Mr. Steele, I'm so sorry," he blurted, his voice low, frantic. "I couldn't arrive in time."

"It's alright, Jon," Darren tapped him on the shoulder. "Did you prepare what I gave you? The Deadman trigger?"

Jon nodded quickly, patting his jacket pocket. "Yes. Encrypted drive, remote activation, just like you said. All the dirt on the Triad was set to drop if you didn't check in."

Darren exhaled, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Good. If that wasn't set, none of my threats back there would've had any ground." He clapped Jon again on the shoulder. "You did fine. Let's move."

Ileana's eyes lingered on Jon for a while, who had questions. But as the driver got in the car, her gaze darted to Darren as she realized something .

He had meant it. Every word in that room— about their servers, their deals, the deadman's switch— it wasn't a bluff.

She slid into the car, nervously, sitting beside Rachel. But, unable to stop herself, she lowered her head and studied Darren, his calm facade, the way he moved like nothing could touch him.

'How did he know?' Her mind raced, piecing together the darknet searches he must've run, the systems he'd hacked to uncover the Triad's secrets.

Rachel caught her looking and she adjusted herself.

The car's engine purred to life. Jon gripped the wheel and without another word, they pulled away, leaving the Triad's driver and his menacing glare behind.

The road to the private airstrip was a winding ribbon through Zurich's outskirts, streetlights casting fleeting shadows across the car's interior.

The drive was silent through out, except for the faint patter of rain on the windshield. Darren's eyes kept flicking to Rachel. She didn't pay him any attention, she only stared out the window, her jaw set, her arms crossed.

Obviously, she was ignoring him.

Darren knew it was well earned. She was scared, and angry because he left her in the dark. After everything they'd done together.

He glanced at her again, then looked away.

Ileana watched them both, noticing the tension between them. The way her shoulders hunched, and Darren's quiet glances, his calm mask hiding something softer—regret, maybe.

'They're close,' she thought, her fingers brushing the edge of her jacket. She leaned back, her own thoughts churning, wondering what awaited her in this deal she'd been thrust into.

The car pulled finally into the airstrip where the Razor awaited under the rain. Jon parked, and they stepped out, the cold air biting their faces.

They hurried into the jet. Ileana — this being her first time inside one — was clearly overwhelmed by the airship. She looked around nervously before she took her seat.

Darren tried to say things to get her used to it, and when Rachel saw them both, she said nothing, brushing past him to board.

Darren pursed his lips with guilt. Her silence was louder than words.

They settled into the jet's cabin and the engines whined not long after. Then, the Razor lifted off, the Zurich lights fading into a sea of black below.

Ileana began to doze off very early into the flight and Darren pointed her to the bedroom area at the back. She curled onto the narrow bed, and closed her eyes as exhaustion claimed her.

Darren watched her. Somehow, her face softened in sleep, like all the tension of the Triad's lair gone, leaving her looking younger, almost fragile.

When his gaze darkened, he turned around, closing the door softly, and returned to the main cabin.

He found Rachel by a window, her gaze fixed on the endless night, her arms still crossed.

Darren took a deep breath, walked to her position and sat beside her. She felt his presence, but didn't react.

Darren pulled out the cold wallet from his coat— a small, carbon-plated device that had cost them blood, money, and nearly their lives. He rolled it between his fingers.

'1,200,000 Bitcoins. The reason for all this.' He then turned to Rachel. But the wallet felt hollow compared to the rift with Rachel.

"Hey," he said, his voice low, tentative.

She didn't turn, her eyes locked on the window, but her shoulders stiffened. "What?" she said, her tone sharp, cutting.

Darren exhaled, setting the wallet on the armrest, his fingers brushing its edge. "I'm sorry, Rach," he said as sincerely as he could. "I screwed up. I knew about the Triad— found out in Romania, from that card the girl gave me. I dug into them, their deals, their secrets, but I didn't tell you. I don't even know why, I just didn't. And I'm sorry. YlYou deserved to know, especially after everything we've been through in this... hunt. You're my partner, not just… my secretary. I put you in danger, and I'm sorry about that."

Rachel's jaw tightened, but she finally turned, her eyes meeting his, anger and hurt swirling in them. "We were blindfolded, Darren. They were pointing so many guns at us and I had no idea who they were."

He winced, the guilt hitting like a punch. "I know," he said, leaning closer. "I'm really really sorry. When I saw you in there, scared, it fucking killed me. I never wanted that. I'm not perfect, Rach, but I'm trying to make this right. I will never let that happen again. I promise. No more secrets."

She stared at him, her eyes searching his face, the anger softening. "You couldn't even let me be mad for a whole day."

He didn't even laugh, and that told Rachel that he was being serious. "Darren?"

He exhaled. "You're my rock, Rach. Always have been." He leaned closer, his hand finding hers again, this time holding it firmly.

She didn't pull away.

Darren cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing her skin, and she leaned into it, her anger melting more and more into something softer, needier.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice raw, and then he kissed her, deep and slow, pouring every ounce of regret and promise into it. She kissed him back, her hands sliding to his shoulders, gripping tight as the kiss grew hungrier, more desperate.

They sank into the seat, her body pressing against his, their caresses igniting something fierce, passionate. His fingers tangled in her hair, her breath hot against his neck, the world narrowing to just them, the jet's hum fading into nothing.

Then, they began to take off their clothes.

However, unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes peeked from the bedroom's curtain, watching them.

They were Ileana's green eyes.

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