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

It started with a question. A simple one.

Why was someone trying so hard to bury Gareth Smithers's scandal?

Gareth was powerful, but he wasn't that powerful. Not compared to the real titans — the Empire Companies that dictated markets and pulled the strings behind governments.

He was simply a small fry.

He couldn't strong-arm the press by threatening to pull funding. But there was someone who could. Someone who had even a connection even though very slight with Gareth Smithers.

That was Richard Morrison.

It made sense. The man owned a share in Business Everyday, which means he could simply threaten to cause drastic changes if they wouldn't do as he asked.

However, Brooklyn's investigative mind knew one thing.

Richard wasn't Gareth's ally.

Their paths had crossed through minor business deals, but there was no real connection between them — just small, inconsequential meetings.

That meant one of two things: either Gareth had made a deal with Richard, or someone with enough power had leaned on Richard to keep Gareth's name clean.

There was only one man who fit that profile. New suspect on the board; Archibald Mooney.

Archibald was Gareth's long-time friend, openly so. But more importantly, he was one of Richard Morrison's strongest business allies.

His investments had propped up Richard's empire. If Archibald wanted something done, Richard would oblige without hesitation.

But Brooklyn asked the question of why?

Archibald Mooney had cut ties with so-called friends before. If they became liabilities, he discarded them like dead weight. He had always prioritized his business, his reputation. So why was he bending over backward to keep Gareth safe?

Something wasn't right.

That was when she started digging deeper.

She worked tirelessly. She spent long nights, endless hours, poring over connections and paper trails.

She even visited multiple Moon Enterprises branches, sneaking into offices in pretense of interviewing them. Some of them didn't even know that she had been fired from Business Everyday.

When no one was looking, she would sneak into offices, searching files that essentially promised nothing tangible, yet her obsessive mind of a journalist refused to falter.

Then, finally, the break came.

It wasn't a single moment of discovery, but a series of them, each piece falling into place with quiet inevitability.

One night, an anonymous email slipped into her inbox. No sender. No subject. Just a single attachment labeled 'Eyes Wide Shut.'

Someone knew what she was doing.

Brooklyn's stomach tightened as she clicked on it.

Inside was a goldmine. It was all the transactions between Archibald Mooney and Gareth Smithers. None were illegal, basically none. A few could be argued as unethical, but none were outright illegal.

Alongside the files were Gareth's investments kept secured by Moon Wealth Management Offices. Many of them clearly showed that these investments were not Gareth's ideas but stolen. However, nothing gave her the answer she was really looking for.

That's why she'd been reading and reading, trying to find out why this was sent to her. Where was it? Where was the reason why Archibald wanted Gareth's business secret?

Well, here it is now.

Brooklyn's breath was still trapped in her throat. She continued to read; Illegal arms deals. Billions funneled through intermediaries, reaching the hands of cartels, warlords, and terrorist organizations across the globe.

She felt sick.

Gareth's scandal was nothing compared to this.

She leaned back on the chair, staring at the paper.

All the years she'd spent in her career, this story. This was the kind of story that could get her killed.

She exhaled shakily.

What the hell was she going to do now?

Sophie was simply staring, wondering if she was alright. "Miss Baker?"

"I need an extra page," she said without preamble.

Sophie narrowed her eyes, surprised by the sudden request. "An extra page? Just like that? We only had two available. Half is being decided, and you're been given the remaining one and half. But you want an extra? The issue is locked, Miss Baker. You know how these things work."

Brooklyn's face was already pale with the shock she just refused that she couldn't even emote to anything else. "The story is much bigger. One and a half can't be enough."

That made Sophie pause. She raised a brow, intrigued. "How much bigger?"

Brooklyn hesitated. Her fingers tapped restlessly against the files. "A lot more."

Both of Sophie's eyebrows were arched now. "Can I take a look at this new part of the story you want to include?"

Brooklyn shook her head. "No. You can't. I'm sorry."

Sophie frowned. "Then I can't just give you a page."

Brooklyn leaned forward. "I'm really sorry, Miss McClain, but I need you to trust me. If I don't get this in the next issue, they'll try to silence me before I can publish it elsewhere."

Sophie studied her carefully. "Miss Baker, I one hundred percent back my journalists. But an extra page? Without knowing what's on it?"

Brooklyn swallowed. "Trust me, please. Let me have the page. You won't regret it."

Sophie tapped her pen against the desk, considering. Then she exhaled through her nose. "That page was going to be an advertisement for a nail polish brand anyway. It can be rescheduled."

Brooklyn's relief was instant. "Thank you."

Sophie sighed. "This is not how things work. It's only because you're the Brooklyn Baker that I'm letting it slide."

Brooklyn signed the contract. As soon as she stepped out of the office, she flipped open her phone and dialed a number.

Darren Steele.

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

Morning light filtered through the grand lobby as Darren walked into the Golden Hay Hotel.

The chandeliers on the ceiling and their beautiful warm glow designed the place with its reflective lights bouncing off the polished marble floors.

Darren adjusted the cuffs of his suit as he strode toward the elevators, Ryan Anders' words from the night before replaying in his thoughts.

"If you've chosen to consider me an enemy, Mr. Steele, do know your startup company will sooner lick the gravel before it will ever reach the sky. Tread lightly. I will send Amelia to discuss the settlement with you. Be smart with your choice. We can destroy your new company if we dared wish to. Accept whatever offer we give you, or face the consequences."

"Good bye."