Bitcoin Billionaire: I Regressed to Invest in the First Bitcoin!
Chapter 242 - 242: Brooklyn's Back

Darren was surprised to see her. It meant that the news earlier had not been life once again. With a smirk on his face, he turned the knob and swung the door open, revealing the popular news host and journalist.

Brooklyn's eyes lit up almost immediately as soon as his face appeared, gold yellow hair cascading in loose waves, while that smile of mischief and challenge spread down her pointed nose.

She wore a tailored navy blazer over a cream silk blouse, and had her feet locked in a beautiful black pair of high heels.

Darren leaned against the doorframe, studying her with a proud smile.

"Brooklyn Baker. You won't ever change, eh? Still gracing my doorstep unannounced," he said, his voice low, teasing, laced with the flirty edge that always sparked between them. "What would you have done if I didn't answer? Scale the building and sneak in through a window?"

Brooklyn's laugh was bright. "What's the point of giving me special privileges to enter this exclusive street if I can't use them?"

He chuckled as he got out of the way for her to step in. As she did, he caught a quick scent of her jasmine perfume and he closed the door after.

"Find yourself a seat, Ms. Journalist. I'm sure you were already on your way to do that."

"You thought right." Brooklyn sank into the couch, crossing her legs with a flourish and beaming pridefully at Darren.

Darren said nothing and crossed to his wine cabinet. With a whisper of hinges, he opened it before glancing over his shoulder. "What would you like?"

She tilted her head, thought of it for a moment before replying; "I'll have a Château Pétrus. 2005."

Darren paused, his hand on a bottle, turning to give her a mock-exasperated look. "Château Pétrus? You're not reserved at all, are you?"

She shrugged with one shoulder. "You asked me what I wanted."

"And your response exposed your gluttony."

"Give me a break!" she rolled her eyes playfully. "Besides, you owe me after dodging my calls for weeks."

"Fair point," he conceded, pulling the Pétrus from the rack, its deep red label catching the light. He uncorked it with a practiced twist and the rich aroma of blackberry and spice filled the air within seconds.

Gingerly, he poured her a glass, the liquid swirling like a dark promise, and handed it to her, their fingers brushing briefly.

He could feel her staring intensely at him throughout all of it, and when he returned to the couch across from her, his own merlot in hand, he could still feel her gaze.

Brooklyn took the glass, her gaze locking onto his, deep and knowing, like she could see through his carefully crafted mask.

Darren caught the gaze, and even then, she didn't look away. "What?" he asked.

As she sipped the wine, her gaze became knowing and taunting. "It was you, wasn't it?" she asked.

Darren's brow lifted, his expression a perfect blend of innocence and amusement, though his pulse quickened. He knew exactly what she meant — the 1,200,000 Bitcoins, his secret triumph.

"What was me?" he said, leaning back, swirling his wine, playing dumb with a grin.

Brooklyn laughed, a sharp, bright sound, pointing at him accusingly. "Don't mess with me, Darren Steele. My instincts never fail me."

"Oh yeah?" he said, his grin widening. "The instinct of a journalist?"

"Exactly."

Darren chuckled, taking a sip of his merlot, the rich flavor grounding him as he dodged her probe. "Brooklyn, I really have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just a guy, chilling with some wine and fruit, watching you dazzle on TV."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm talking about the Bitcoin treasure, Darren. Over 1,200,000 coins that were in NakamuraGhost's wallet, ownerless— until now. My sources say it's been found, and I'm betting my Pétrus it's you."

"That's my Petrus." Darren snapped. "You can't bet on my possession against me. And who says it's been found anyway? How are they sure? M"

"My sources, Darren. The Bitcoin has been found. There's no denying that part."

"Really?" Darren said, his voice smooth, deflecting. "Well, I'm still looking for it. Been a hell of a hunt, but no luck yet."

Brooklyn scoffed, pointing at him again, her laugh half-frustrated, half-amused. "Liar. I know you, Darren. You don't sit at home sipping wine when a prize like that's out there. You'd chase it with more severity than a bloodhound."

He raised his glass, his grin sly. "I'm resting right now. Thinking."

"Yeah, right," she said, her voice dripping with skepticism. "You've found it. I know you have. I just can't prove it because, somehow, it's not in your wallet. Not in your company's either. You're too damn slippery."

Darren shrugged again, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "There you go. I don't have it. Case closed."

Brooklyn took a long sip of her Pétrus, her gaze locked on him, her smile turning sharp. "You're such a liar," she said, accepting defeat for now. "I'll figure it out, Darren. I always do."

He dropped his glass, matching her intensity, his tone teasing. "Besides, is that why you came? To snoop around my wallets? Are you still like that, Baker."

A nervous laugh escaped Brooklyn. "What? No, I…" She paused, her voice softening as she darted her eyes away for a brief moment. "I realized I hadn't seen you in a while. Thought I'd drop by, catch up. You've been ghosting me, you know."

Darren raised a taunting brow. "So you missed me then. Is that what you're saying?"

"No. No." She turned defensive quickly, swatting the air as her cheeks reddened. "This whole bitcoin thing just reminded me about you and how— how... you might be lonely up here, brooding over your secret millions."

Darren smiled. "Ah. So that's why you've visited."

Brooklyn fell silent for a moment, feeling like she had slightly overreacted, but Darren was kind enough to not linger on it.

Their laughter mingled, the old spark of their haters-to-friends bond burning bright, but Brooklyn's expression shifted, her tone turning serious as she pointed to the muted TV, where a ticker scrolled about Bitcoin regulation.

"Speaking of millions," she said, her voice leveling, "you see the news? The U.S. Senate's freaking out over Silk Road. They're bringing Bitcoin into the law enforcement crosshairs. FinCEN's classifying exchanges and admins as money services businesses; AML, KYC, the whole regulatory hammer."

Darren's eyes flicked to the screen, his mind already racing, but he kept his tone casual, sipping his wine. "Yeah, I saw it. Government's scared of what they can't control. Always have been. You were part of this once, you remember?"

"Of course! How can I forget when you always remind me!"

Darren scoffed and drank his wine.

Brooklyn crossed her leg as she watched the television, her journalist instincts slowly kicking in. "Silk Road's really got them worried. The anonymous trades, darknet deals, they're all untraceable. FinCEN's guidance means exchanges have to ID every user, track every transaction. If you're moving big coins, you're on their radar."

Darren narrowed his eyes. 'That's the worrying part."

"They're not banning Bitcoin — yet — but they're tightening the noose. Smaller players get crushed, big fish like you…" She paused, her eyes narrowing playfully. "…or whoever found those 1.2 million coins, they'll need to be ghosts to stay free."

Darren nodded. "Bitcoin will be fine. And so will I."

Brooklyn pursed her lips at his confidence. "How are you so sure?"

"Cause it's a hydra," Darren replied. "Cut one head, two grow back. They can't regulate what they can't catch."

She raised an eyebrow, her smile sly. "Spoken like a man with something to hide. You've got a plan, don't you? Offshore wallets? Dark pools? Come on, spill."

Darren chuckled it off, realizing how close she was to finding out. "You're always fishing, Baker. I'm just a law-abiding citizen, sipping wine with a friend."

"Friend, huh?" she said, her voice softening.

"Yes," Darren replied, catching her starry gaze. "Friend."

That caused an uncontrollable smile to spread on the journalist's face.

But then, Darren cleared his throat, dropping his glass down. "Brooklyn," he said, his tone soft but firm. "You're not being completely honest with me. Something's bothering you here, I know."

Brooklyn froze, her eyes quivering around his face.

"Tell me what it is," Darren asked. "Tell me why you really came to see me."

Knowing she'd been caught, the confident journalist gulped nervously for the first time.