Bitcoin Billionaire: I Regressed to Invest in the First Bitcoin!

The night was not young any longer, people had begun to leave, others shared numbers and contact information to keep in touch after reuniting, while the rest continued to drink and bop their heads to the music.

The marble floors of the Golden Hay Hotel's ballroom gleamed under the chandeliers as the evening began to thin.

Most of the reunion's guests were either deep in conversation or winding down toward the bar, their laughter and chatter fading into a dull background hum.

Darren looked at all of this. He didn't have any reason to be here anymore. He'd met everyone he thought was important, and any one else he would have liked to continue a conversation with had already left.

With a quiet exhale of finality, he adjusted his cufflinks and headed to the door, ready to exit the lounge and call it a night.

As he moved, each time he passed a crowd, conversation stopped and eyes moved in his direction.

"Darren is leaving."

"Seriously though, when did he become like this?"

"He's completely changed."

"Yeah. And I heard he's single too. I would have never looked his way back in college, but now, I'm determined to make him my boyfriend."

"Ha ha! Well, good luck with that."

Darren didn't stop for those trying to get his attention, and didn't shift his gaze from the door to anyone.

However, he barely made it two steps into the corridor leading toward the valet area before a sharp voice called out behind him.

"Running away already, Steele?"

Darren halted, his expression unreadable. If it was Tyler Mooney, then he could find some time for him.

He turned slowly to find the first son of Archibald Mooney striding toward him, drink in one hand, the other jabbing loosely toward him as if issuing a challenge.

His face was flushed — from alcohol or rage, it didn't matter. The glint in Tyler's eyes was pure venom.

"You must be so proud of yourself, aren't you?" Tyler sneered as he approached. "That was an amazing performance today. An amazing performance! You almost had me thinking that you were better than me."

Darren half-shrugged, appearing as uninterested as he truly was. "You've always been one to deny reality, Tyler. I'm not surprised."

Tyler grimaced. "You... you... think this little parade tonight changes anything?" He stopped a few feet away. "You're still nothing. You're just a damn dog. It's what you were in highschool, college and it's what you are. Your upstart had a lucky break, and that doesn't mean you belong in our circle."

Darren's gaze dropped once, briefly, to the drink sloshing dangerously in Tyler's hand — then rose again to meet his eyes with cool, cutting detachment.

"I think," Darren said evenly, "that you're the only one here who still believes you're running a circle."

A few nearby guests turned at the sharpness in his voice, pretending not to eavesdrop.

Tyler chuckled, but there was no humor in it. He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Enjoy it while you can, Steele. Your little empire? I'm going to crush it. Just wait."

Darren smiled faintly, the kind of smile that didn't touch his eyes.

"You don't realize how unwise it is to think that you still scare me," he said, his tone dropping to something cold and surgical. "You don't. In fact, you're less terrifying now than you've ever been to me."

Tyler's eyes quivered, his muscles contracted as panic and shock hooked in his throat.

"You're not half as clever as you think you are, Tyler. You're just loud."

Tyler's jaw twitched. "You damn dog!!!"

He lunged at Darren groggily but Darren simply got out of the way, except for his leg which tripped the furious Mooney, causing him to crash on a table, sending bottles and glasses falling on his head and drenching him with alcohol.

Chuckles and murmurs followed as Tyler, half-drunk and not fully aware of the shame, laid on the ground, face down.

Darren looked down at him despicably. "One day, Tyler Mooney. One day, I'm going to make you get on all fours and bark for me. Then we'll see who the dog truly is."

Not sparing the crowd a glance, he turned, walking off with his hands in his pockets, leaving Tyler fuming in the corridor as Jaxon Daniels and Amir Singh hurried to his aid while bystanders watched Darren Steele saunter away.

-------------------

As soon as he got outside, he was greeted by the crisp night air, splashing softly against Darren's face as he crossed the lot toward his Lamborghini Reventon.

Ding!

┏You've earned a Character Bonus influx!┛

┏Ten Character Bonuses granted for perfect usage of descriptors learnt┛

┏Aura Farming & Social Perception impeccably displayed!┛

Darren stared at the notification for a while. A Character Bonus Influx.

Apparently, rather than the usual one or two Character Bonuses, he could get an Influx of ten at once if you executed to perfection one of the descriptors for Financial Mastery that he was taught in his earlier phases.

It was good news. Hopefully, the bonuses could unlock a pretty good feature.

He tugged the car keys from his pocket and walked closer to the lambo, but just when he reached the car, he noticed a figure leaning casually against one of the ornamental stone pillars near the exit.

A slim figure, illuminated by the dim gold lights of the hotel's front garden. He saw green hair and puffs of smoke.

It was Olivia Sinclair.

She wore a dark fitted coat over her reunion dress, her long green hair cascading down her shoulders as she held a cigarette loosely between two fingers.

The smoke curled lazily upward as she exhaled, her gaze fixed on the pavement.

Darren considered ignoring her — but then she lifted her head, catching sight of him.

Their eyes locked.

It was silent for a while before Darren looked at the key in his hand, throwing it slightly and catching it. "Didn't know you smoked."

She looked away from him and shrugged. "Bad habit I picked up. Only thing that clears my mind."

He nodded once. "I see. Clear your mind. Infect your lungs. That's a good trade."

Olivia narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you here to disparage me, Darren Steele?"

"Oh no. No judgement. Hey. I used to do it too. I'm just saying. It's a fleeting moment of pleasure and a lifetime of pain."

She didn't say anything to that, only taking one soft, silent puff of the cigarette.

"Why did you say no?" she asked.

"Mhm?"

"To my proposal. You refused. Why?"

Darren gazed at her for a while, then responded. "Get rid of the cigarette and I'll tell you."

Olivia paused.

Then, maintaining eye contact with him, she let the cigarette fall and stubbed it out under her heel, pushing off the wall to approach him.

"Will you tell me now?" she asked.