Bitcoin Billionaire: I Regressed to Invest in the First Bitcoin!-Chapter 38: Everyday’s For The Thief

After numerous nightly discussions with Sandy in this place, Castle Cottage was quickly becoming a regular for Darren.

Which is why he chose it for his meeting with his cunning hacker. Being in a familiar place gave him an edge.

Although he already didn't need it, he still had to be smart with this girl.

The dim glow of many hanging lanterns bathed Castle Cottage in a warm, golden hue. The rustic outdoor restaurant sprawled beneath the open sky with the canopy of vines and fairy lights stretching over wooden tables.

The scent of grilled meats and fresh bread wafted through the crisp night air, mingling with the simple noise of quiet conversation.

Kara stepped inside, her fingers gripping the strap of her bag tighter than usual. Her jittery eyes darted around the restaurant, scanning each face, each table, each shadowed corner.

This was the place. Mr. Duckling had told her to come here.

Any of these people here could be him. A man. A child. A woman. They might have used a voice modulator.

Her nerves gnawed at her, but she masked it well.

She was dressed the way she always did; casual with a gothic edge. A black oversized hoodie hung loosely over her frame, unzipped just enough to reveal a fitted, dark tank top underneath.

The silver chain around her neck gleamed against her pale skin, and her ripped skinny jeans clung snugly to her legs, tucking into a pair of heavy combat boots. Her nails were painted a deep crimson, the same shade as her tousled red hair, which cascaded over one shoulder in messy waves.

She carried a satchel slung across her body, the weight of her laptop resting against her hip.

Letting out a sharp exhale, she rubbed her arms and a chill ran down her spine. Everything about this whole situation made her uneasy.

"What have you gotten yourself into now, Kara?"

A million and a half Bitcoin purchase. It was none of her business. She didn't have to go hacking into it.

Why do I always do this?

She bit her lip, glancing over her shoulder once more before sighing and finding a table near the edge of the restaurant, where she could see everyone but remain unnoticed herself.

However, there was one person she couldn't see. Darren Steele. Standing by the shadows, watching her.

The system had done its job. Secured the wallet. Traced the hacker. Now, it was time for him to do his.

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Kara was aflutter, though she tried to hide it behind nonchalance. The way she kept scanning the crowd, shifting in her seat, glancing at her surroundings like she expected someone to tap her shoulder at any moment.

She was nervous. Which was good. She should be.

Unfortunately, as he knew, the system couldn't read emotions beyond their direct relation to him.

If she was afraid of him, it would tell him. If she was only afraid of the situation itself, it remained unreadable. That meant he had to rely on his perception alone.

And perception told him Kara wasn't just scared. She was curious.

She wasn't the type to be easily intimidated, which meant her nervousness wasn't purely fear — it was intrigue, excitement even.

She was a wild card. Heck, most hackers were. Living her life on the edge, stretching her arms to see just how much she could reach without getting in trouble.

He saw it in the way her fingers tapped against the wooden table, in the way her teeth toyed with her lower lip, in the way her eyes scanned but never truly settled.

Well. Everyday's for the thief and one day's for the owner.

Darren moved forward.

---

Starting to become impatient, Kara lifted her head and saw a young man approaching. Her fingers instantly stilled.

Her eyes locked onto his figure as he stepped toward her table, each slow stride measured and deliberate.

He didn't blink. Didn't look away. He let her take in his face, let her remember him.

Kara furrowed her brows slightly, trying to remember where she had seen that face. Then her breath trapped in sudden realization.

"You," she said.

Darren didn't sit yet. He simply stood in front of her, hands in his pocket, looking at her.

Kara's head tilted, her gaze raking over him now, studying him. He could see the exact moment recognition deepened in her expression, the way her lips quirked up, then curled inward as if suppressing a grin.

She leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other, tapping her nails against her thigh. "No way," she breathed out, shaking her head in amusement. "You're FuglyDuckling?"

Darren's expression didn't shift. "So you didn't know it was me."

"I had no... idea," she admitted, still shaking her head. "This must be the greatest coincidence. Wow…" Her eyes flickered over him again, slower this time. "I know I saw you once, but..."

She watched him use his masculine arm to pull the chair backwards, then sat down before her.

Her cheeks flushed red. "Wow..."

Darren ignored her sultry gaze. "Give me your laptop," he said.

Kara blinked. "So direct. What, no foreplay?"

Darren extended his hand expectantly.

She sighed, rolling her eyes as she unzipped her bag and slid the laptop onto the table. "You weren't this good looking when I first saw you."

Darren ignored her, opening the laptop and running the system scan.

Seeing multiple security set ups, he turned it to her to unlock it all.

"First you exchange $200,000 in my cyber store and then you purchase almost 2 million worth of Bitcoin. Who really are you? A money launderer?"

She smiled at him teasingly as she handed him back the laptop.

Darren went through it. As expected, nothing on the device gave her access to his funds. Everything was locked down. His firewalls were impenetrable, his transactions untraceable.

But what was on her laptop made him pause.

The system displayed a list.

Kara's Access Logs:

Corporate financial records (top companies)

Private security feeds (highly restricted zones)

Banking systems (capable of infiltration but left untouched)

Personal data breaches (extensive, but seemingly for curiosity rather than crime)

Darren glanced at her. This girl had access to so many powerful companies and corporations. She didn't tamper with them, sure, because that would turn her into a national level criminal.

But still, the fact that she had access to them was impressive.

Kara raised an eyebrow. "Hey, are you done there? That's supposed to be private, you know."

Darren shut the laptop, meeting her gaze. "So was my Bitcoin wallet."

She pouted. "Ugh, still just as cold, I see."

Once the system finished its scan, Darren leaned back slightly, his gaze locked at Kara.

"You're a great hacker," he admitted.

Kara, surprised at his compliment, grew shy for a moment and looked away. "I am good at what I do."

"I can see that."

She tilted her head, becoming defensive. "Is that it? Look, I get it — you're laying low, right? Trying to keep things quiet? I totally understand. Friends come around, the press too. I completely get it. You're trying to focus on the bag, no distractions. So I'll shut my mouth. I can be quiet. See."

She zipped her lips with her fingers, then gave a cheeky thumbs-up.

Darren just stared at her.

She stared back.

Neither of them spoke.

Seconds passed. Then more.

Kara's eyes twitched slightly, her fingers curling against the table.

Then, her eyes started to redden.

She exhaled sharply and gave up. "Okay, maybe I can't stay quiet."

Darren barely reacted. "Not only are you going to keep your mouth shut but you're going to make up for this by doing what I say."

Kara narrowed her eyes, sensing the serious moment. She leaned in slightly. "Is this a sex thing?"

Darren stared blankly at her. 'She's crazy.' In his mind, he facepalmed.

Saying nothing to that, he put both hands in his pockets once more and got on his feet. "Come. Let's go.."

Kara blinked. "Huh?"

"You're coming with me."

She hesitated before grabbing her bag, slipping her laptop inside as she rose to her feet. "Come with you where?"

Darren turned, already walking.

Kara sighed, following after him. "You really need to start elaborating, you know."

Darren didn't say anything, he just continued further towards the road where cars kept dashing through.

Kara stared at him in disbelief. "Mr Duckling? Mr Duckling?"

He didn't answer, he just kept walking.

She lowered her head and sighed. "That handsome son of a bitch."

Then she hurried after him.

----

A/N

I don't usually like putting the Author's Note here but y'all usually skip it when it's in usual position anyway, lol ಡ⁠ ͜⁠ ⁠ʖ⁠ ⁠ಡ

Just wanted to point out that I've seen some comments about how things are done such as School Loans, banks, transfers, types of cars, houses etc. Please remember that setting is 2010 not present. Many things were done differently at the time.

As for the state and cities, please check the aux chapter. I'm not American so I do not want to butcher locations and distance between locations, city and street names and so on. So to give myself some freedom, I created replacement names for popular states and cities. They're not hard to figure out, such as Los Alverez for Los Angeles.

Thanks!