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

Because of his presence, the atmosphere in the bar had shifted greatly.

Neither of them had expected to see Darren appearing in such a manner. At this point, they could recognize him, but comparing him to how he looked back in college, the difference was mind shattering.

Conversation became short and careful.

What had started as an idle gathering of old acquaintances had become something else entirely: a silent evaluation.

Everyone at the table was looking at him differently now. Some with surprise, some with curiosity, and one with growing resentment.

After they had all ordered, Sophie, still looking at him as if seeing a ghost, was the first to ask him a direct question.

"Excuse me," she began.

Darren lifted his head. "Mmm?"

"Are you… really Darren Steele?" She asked gently.

Darren gave her a short smile. "You mean Death Wish Darren?"

Sophie's eyes flickered with surprise.

"Yes," Darren said simply. "It's me."

He wasn't being hostile by pointing out the name, he was just letting her know that he still remembered that she — just like the other girls here — used to call her that name.

Sitting beside Alison, he returned his expression to an unreadable one.

Sophie McClain tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and gave Emily a glance. Emily in turn, shot one at Tamara.

"So it really is you, huh," Sophie started, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "How long has it been? College? Almost two years now?"

Darren nodded, his fingers lazily tracing the rim of his own untouched drink. "Something like that. You did graduate before some of us."

"Those were... fun times," Tamara Johnstone chimed in, crossing her legs elegantly.

Darren noticed the sleek black outfit that she was dressed in. One that screamed wealth and calculated ambition. "Some of us have moved on to different things. Some of us are still finding our way."

Darren smirked slightly at her subtle dig but let it pass. "And what about you, Sophie? How's the magazine doing?"

Sophie's face lit up with genuine enthusiasm, then she narrowed her eyes. "You, uh... you know about that?" she asked, surprised.

Darren nodded. "How can I forget? You used to carry that beat-up leather notebook everywhere, sketching out logo ideas, listing headlines you wanted to write. You even interviewed students in the cafeteria like it was some New York Times piece. You never shut up about how you were going to build your own empire. It's good that you're doing something you've had lots of passion for."

Sophie blushed and lowered her face. "He-he." A nervous chuckle left her. "I never knew you noticed."

"I did." He took a sip of his wine. "VÉRITÉ, right?"

"Yes," she lit up. "VÉRITÉ is finally gaining real traction. We've been featured in some major luxury campaigns, and I've got a few high-profile names lined up. It's a grind, but like you said, I've been doing this since high school. I wasn't going to let it go."

Tamara swirled the dark liquid in her glass, watching their exchange. She didn't know why, but she quickly became jealous of the attention Darren was giving Sophie and so she chimed in.

"I've been busy too," she said. "My firm, Horizon Strategies, is in the process of a transition. My father is stepping down, and I'm next in line to take over— except my brother thinks otherwise."

Sophie made a face.

Emily turned to her. "Oh God, you mean Andrew? I thought he didn't want anything to do with business."

Tamara exhaled through her nose. "That was before he realized how much money was on the table."

Darren leaned back slightly. "So it's a competition then?"

Tamara's lips curled into a smirk, looking at him. "Everything is a competition."

Darren hummed, understanding that logic all too well. "Agreed."

Sophie suddenly perked up. "Speaking of work, I'm in the middle of trying to secure Ava Monroe as our next cover sponsor."

Darren raised a brow. "Ava Monroe?"

"Yeah, the actress. It's a big deal for us. If we get her, VÉRITÉ goes from promising to established overnight."

He lowered his head in thought. 'What a small world. Ava Monroe is basically my neighbor. Sophie, my colleague from school, wants her signature to take her company to the next level. Do I have some sort of leverage here? Is there something I could even want from her.'

He thought harder. 'Could a magazine company gain me anything as a business ally?'

The system began giving him responses, but Darren selected ┏read later┛once he noticed that Tamara was leaning in to ask him a question.

"So, Darren. What do you do exactly?"

Darren glanced shortly at Alison, who smiled beautifully, knowing what he was going to say.

"Business," he replied. I do business.

That answer was far from satisfactory. Both Sophie and Tamara exchanged glances before pressing on.

"I mean... so do most of us," Tamara giggled.

"What kind of business?" Emily piped in.

Feeling as though the art and crafts girl shouldn't put her mouth in discussions such as this, Darren held back his thoughts and replied casually.

"It's a new business. I'm just starting it up.

The table went silent for a moment. Then, from the other end, a slow, mocking chuckle rose.

"Oh, give me a fucking break," Terry Wilson scoffed, shaking his head as he set his drink down with a loud clink. "This is such bullshit."

Darren turned his gaze towards him, eyes cool but unreadable. "Something on your mind, Terry?"

Terry sneered, leaning forward on the table. "Yeah, I got something on my mind, Steele. You walk in here, dressed like a goddamn Wall Street poster boy, acting like you're some big shot, and now you're telling us you're a 'businessman'? What business, huh? Don't tell me— let me guess. You burned all your savings on designer clothes and expensive cologne just so you could put on this little show?"

Alison tensed beside Darren. "Terry—"

"No, no, I want to hear this," Terry continued, his voice dripping with condescension. "What the hell could you possibly be running? Last I checked, you were hanging on Lily Smithers' clit just so you could get a job under her father."

"And you've been sucking Tyler Mooney's cock ever since high school just to feed on his crumbs."

Terry's eyes turned red.

Alison gagged.

The other girls had wide eyes of shock. Silence reigned for a while. Uncomfortable silence, leaving Terry slightly disgraced.

He chuckled. "Yeah I remember now. That's why we called you Death Wish Darren, wasn't it? Always running your mouth no matter how much beating you get."

"Ah. You remember. How nice." Darren appeared not to even acknowledge him.

Terry grinned. "Oh, I do. I remember a lot of things. Like how you lived in that shithole on Malgreen Street. You still there?"

A chuckle rose from one of the girls, though she quickly covered her mouth. Sophie and Tamara didn't laugh, but they watched Darren closely, waiting to see how he'd respond. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

Darren exhaled slowly through his nose, setting his drink down. He turned fully toward Terry, leveling him with a look so calm it was almost unsettling.

"Actually, I don't. I bought a house."

Terry's grin twitched slightly. "Oh yeah? And I'm the king of England."

The table laughed, but Darren didn't.

"But you wouldn't make a very great king, would you, Terry?" Darren said.

"What?" Terry narrowed his eyes.

"You have no idea how to be one. You're more used to being the courier, the servant. That's all you've been great at." Darren continued, eyes still locked on him. "What do you do these days?"

Terry rolled his shoulders. "I work in logistics."

Darren nodded, feigning interest. "Oh? Your own company?"

Terry scoffed. "Nah, I work under Moon Enterprises. They own the business. But I handle operations, which means I actually do real work, unlike whatever fantasy you're living in."

Darren smirked slightly. "So you work for a subsidiary."

Terry's face twitched. "Yeah, so?"

"So?" Darren leaned in slightly, voice quiet but sharp, "Terry, don't be a fool. My company may be new but the difference between us… is that I own mine."

His eyes narrowed with fire. "You don't own anything. You work. You're the slave. And your livelihood depends on the real owners of the company. Tyler."

He took a sip of his wine, then adjusted. "So make sure to use more spit as you do it. And no teeth."

Silence. The girls all clasped their mouths with their palms, some of them hid their faces.

Terry's face darkened, and the tension at the table spiked. Darren could hear Alison softly exhaling beside him, while Tamara's lips curled slightly in what could only be amusement.

Another round of laughter came from Terry, forced and bitter.

"Oh, you think you're hot shit now?" Terry muttered, swirling his drink.

Darren didn't say anything.

Another silence stretched over the table. Then, with another slow, deliberate sip of his drink, Darren turned to Sophie McClain.

"Sophie. I want to make you an offer."

Her brow raised.