Bitcoin Billionaire: I Regressed to Invest in the First Bitcoin!-Chapter 62: Trust and Promises

The words hit him like a sledgehammer to the chest. He felt overwhelmed for a moment, like he was a whirlwind of crazy thoughts.

His mind struggled to process them, as if he'd misheard, as if his brain refused to accept the meaning behind them.

He stared at Rachel, waiting for her to correct herself, to say she was joking, to say—

Anything but that.

But then, it started to make sense. The way she was always alone. How she never interacted with anyone in office. It was always to Gareth Smithers' office and out.

Nowhere else.

It wasn't that difficult to believe. Office harassment most often involved the boss and the secretary.

Darren blinked, now seeing Rachel in a completely different light.

"You're the one who reported him for sexual assa—" His voice faltered before he could finish the word. His throat felt tight, breath becoming uneven. "Gareth assaulted you?"

Rachel didn't answer right away. Her posture was as reserved as ever, shoulders squared, chin lifted, as if she was forcing herself to remain composed.

But the hesitation, the way her fingers curled into her palm, the way her lips pressed together, trembling slightly. It was all the confirmation he needed.

Then, slowly, she nodded.

Darren exhaled sharply. 'Gareth Smithers. You bastard.'

His pulse pounded in his ears. A sickening mix of emotions swirled inside him: anger, disbelief, disgust, and something deeper, something heavier.

It had to be resentment. Darren resented that piece of trash called Gareth Smithers.

As angry as he was, he did his best to keep most of his concentration on Rachel.

He studied her face, the way she held herself, the way she clenched her jaw as if bracing for something.

"He didn't just do it once, did he?" he asked softly.

Rachel sucked in a shaky breath.

And then, for the first time, she broke.

Her expression cracked, her mask of cold professionalism shattering as tears welled in her eyes. The file in her hand fell.

When she spoke, it was bloated out by a weak, choked sob. "No."

That single word carried more pain than he could ever comprehend.

She turned away slightly, as if ashamed, as if unwilling to let him see her in this state. But she spoke. She told him everything.

How it started. How Gareth had taken advantage of his power, his influence. How he had trapped her, threatened her, made her feel small, helpless.

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Like usual, he'd made his threat to blacklist her in every company. He was a powerful man. She knew he could do it.

She told Darren how every day she went to work fearing if he would do it again.

She told him how she had tried to endure, tried to push through, hoping it would stop.

But it never did.

And no one ever noticed it. Those that did... The higher ups. They never questioned it.

Because he was Gareth Smithers. Because he was powerful. Because men like him didn't face consequences.

"I felt… worthless." Rachel's voice was barely audible now. "Helpless. And at the same time, I felt guilty because I believed that there was something I could have done. Maybe I should've been stronger. But... I just let it happen."

Darren's hands clenched into fists. He wanted to tell her she didn't "let" anything happen.

He wanted to tell her it wasn't her fault, that Gareth was the one to blame. But he knew now wasn't the time to interrupt.

Rachel swallowed hard, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand.

"And then… you." She looked at him now, her eyes filled with something raw, something desperate. "You were the first to stand up to him. You actually escaped unharmed. And I knew from that moment on that I could do it too."

"I might not act like it but I look up to you, Darren Steele. Like some symbol of hope. I know it's cliche and stupid, but..." her voice faded away.

Darren stared at her, still processing her words.

"You're not really here to get me to sign anything, are you?" he asked. Thankfully, his voice was calm.

Rachel didn't answer immediately.

"I'm afraid to go back," she admitted. "And… I needed to know." She took a breath, steadying herself. "I needed to know if you'd take the deal. If you'd just accept it and walk away like everyone else. But you didn't. I was right about you."

Darren exhaled slowly.

Ding! The system notified him.

┏This person is saying the truth┛

Ding!

┏This person wants to put their whole trust in you┛

Ding!

┏This person is desperate for your aid┛

He looked at her again, seeing not just the composed, professional woman she always presented herself as, but someone who had been suffering in silence for far too long.

Then, she whispered, voice breaking—

"Please help me, Darren. I don't want to go back there."

She had held back for so long, but now the dam had burst. She broke down completely, silent tears turning into sobs.

Darren didn't even think.

He stood up, walked toward her, and before he could stop himself, he covered her with his arms.

Rachel stiffened at first, shocked. She hadn't expected this— neither had he.

But then, slowly, she sank into the embrace, clutching his shirt as she cried.

"You're the only one I've told," she whispered.

Darren looked down at her, his expression firm.

"And you're one of the only people to judge me by character. To you, I don't have money or any kind of power, but you trusted my character to help you."

She raised her head and looked into his stern blue eyes.

"I have nowhere else to go," she admitted. "Gareth is a powerful man, and he has even more powerful friends. He'll find me."

Darren pulled back slightly, just enough to meet her own eyes.

"That doesn't matter," he said with a resolute tone. "What he did to you is wrong. Horribly wrong. And I promise you, I'm going to make him pay for it. But for now, my first promise is that you'll never have to see him again. You'll never have to work there. You'll never have to do anything he says."

Rachel looked at him, confused. "Darren? What do you mean? I… I'm still employed to him by contract—"

"That'll be handled by tomorrow," Darren said. His tone left no room for argument. "You're here because you believed I could help you. That is what I'll do. But first, I need you to trust me."

He looked at her with fierce determination in his blue gaze. "Rachel, do you trust me?"

She gazed at him, searching his face for any sign of hesitation.

Then, finally, she answered.

"…Yes. I trust you."

Darren nodded. "Good. Because as long as I'm with you, no one is going to touch you."

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A/N: I've been thinking of a mass release. How about once we reach the goal of 100 Golden Tickets in the next five days. Reward is a ten chapter mass release.