Bitcoin Billionaire: I Regressed to Invest in the First Bitcoin!-Chapter 188: Ready for a Showdown?

There was one more thing to do before the last act— before this mad war would culminate in a final battle.

Amelia had just returned from Nevarro after her meeting with Cale Donovan. With the information she was going to give them, they would finally have everything they needed to strike hard and strong.

Darren had stopped them from making any moves to avoid being hit again. The moves they would make would be strong and concurrent, leaving Ryan and Gillian with no chance.

The press release was just the start. Ryan would believe they were clawing at anything because they were helpless, but he was going to get another surprise.

And this one, Darren was going to make sure it ended him.

The war room at the Steele Complex was ready and focused, everyone dressed in their office clothes, and going through details on their own one final time. But there was no chatter.

Amelia entered, her heels clicking as the guard who had escorted her, waited by the door.

Darren watched her move to the front of the table, and the rest of the team entered full focus— waiting for Amelia Forrest to speak.

She stood in front, scanning the room, travel-worn from her trip to Nevarro, a slim data case in hand. Darren, Rachel, Vance, Daisy, Sandy, and Miranda all watched her, the room heavy with anticipation.

Amelia began without ceremony.

"Cale Donovan gave us everything," she said, placing the case on the table. "Dummy company names, foreign accounts, the entire structure of Donald Henderson’s casino funnel scheme. It’s been active for years, and Gillian’s quietly shifting everything off the books ahead of the final vote."

Miranda plugged in the flash drive Amelia handed her. Wire transfers lit up on her screen — trails running from Golden Hay to Franchise Casinos to fake firms in Ontario, Dubai, Lagos.

"I haven’t seen embezzlement done like this," Miranda murmured. "It’s engineered extraction. This is what is in the casinos. Land rights, federal spillover clauses and unaudited insurance guarantees. Do you know how valuable this is for a company like Franchise?"

"They want to be an Empire Company. This is the best way to do it."

"Look at this. They’re draining Golden Hay dry before the vote," Rachel said, reading the details. "If we don’t stop them, even if Grant returns, there’ll be nothing left."

Darren’s eyes narrowed. "Then we don’t let them finish."

But Amelia didn’t sit down.

"Uhm... I wanted to say something. There’s something else," she said, more quietly now. "Something Cale told me that... changes everything."

The others looked up.

"The Nevarro warehouse," Amelia said. "You remember it. The one you sent me to try and acquire. Uh... Ryan also wanted it."

Darren leaned forward. "Ryan wanted it? You never told me that."

Amelia lowered her head. "Yes. I had... a reason for that. But... Cale confirmed it was handpicked by Franchise as a flagship expansion site. A luxury resort project. Ryan was representing them when he came that day."

She paused, her voice tightening.

"And the man who owned it... is dead."

The room went still.

"John Brittle?" Darren asked with a raised brow. "The old man. He’s dead?"

Amelia nodded. "Died last week. Sudden heart attack. That’s the official story."

Darren’s head lowered and he already started calculating. "That man was the most free spirited, cheerful person I’ve ever met. There’s no way he died of a heart attack. Franchise wanted the land. Ryan was their representative. That would’ve been motive enough."

Amelia’s hands curled into fists at her sides. "I don’t think that’s why he was killed." freeweɓnovel.cѳm

Darren looked at her then narrowed his eyes. "What are you not telling me, Amelia."

She glanced at him and lowered her gaze once again, took a breath, then said what she had buried for weeks.

"Ryan and I competed for the rights to the warehouse. Brittle found it amusing. Up until Ryan had me alone in a room and... got aggressive."

Her voice faltered.

Darren’s eyes flashed, and he bolted up to his feet. "What happened?"

"He tried to corner me. Put his hands on me. I wasn’t sure what he was going to do, and I didn’t have to find out because Brittle... Brittle saw it happen, and he stepped in. He told Ryan to back off, scolded him so audibly and I could see how pissed Ryan was."

Rachel’s eyes widened in horror. "Ryan Anders tried to assault you?" She was still stuck on that.

Amelia nodded. "And Brittle caught him."

She looked at Darren, seeing how he was gazing at her with multiple swirling emotions. "I’m fine now, really. What I’m worried about is Brittle. He threatened Ryan. Said he’d make a call if Ryan ever stepped out of line again. And talked about meeting the company he represented. I think Ryan had pretended it was Sinclair Group not Franchise. They really wanted to keep this in the wraps."

"So he was scared that Brittle would meet with Sinclair Group, a more powerful company."

"A former Empire Company."

"And now Brittle’s dead," Vance muttered grimly.

Darren stood there in silence, jaw tight. His gaze burned cold. "You should have told me about this," he said to Amelia.

She nodded once. "I’m sorry."

"Don’t apologize."

"I just thought that you were busy... with everything going on. I didn’t want to put more weight on your shoulders."

Rachel looked at the two of them, then asked, "Do you think Ryan killed him? To protect himself?"

"I don’t know," Amelia admitted. "But the timing... the location... it’s too perfect. Brittle was the only person who saw what happened. He was the threat to Ryan’s reputation. Maybe Brittle tried to blackmail him and Ryan snapped."

Miranda’s fingers flew across the keyboard. "I’m pulling the death certificate and estate filings."

Moments later, she spoke up. "Medical report says heart failure. No autopsy. His estate was pushed through probate within 72 hours. That’s insanely fast. The attorney of record is tied to an MWMO-backed legal firm. Same firm that filed Sinclair’s NDA."

"But the warehouse is ours."

"With Brittle dead that only puts a suspicious eye on us," Darren said. "And a smart man like Ryan knows that which is why it’s his next move."

A burst of realization hit him. "He’s going to make it look like we forced Brittle to sign the agreement to take the warehouse and then kill him. That way he can claim it in court, possibly put it for auction and Franchise can get the chance to purchase it."

"Fucking hell."

"That clever bastard."

"Covered top to bottom," Vance cussed.

Rachel looked at Darren. "This is it, isn’t it?"

Darren’s face was deadly. He turned to Vance and Daisy. "Get me an off-book investigator. Discreet and fast. We don’t go to court yet, but I want every detail on Brittle’s death, the firm that pushed his probate, and whether Ryan’s name ever shows up in contact logs. Ryan doesn’t know about this yet so let’s put it on him before he gets the chance to put it on us."

Then he turned to Amelia.

"We’ll talk more about this later."

She nodded. "Okay."

Just as they were about to head out, Marilyn Standard entered, hair tied, expression sharp. She walked straight to Darren and handed him a small laptop.

"I found Thorne," she said.

"Where is he?"

"Not on public record. But I followed warehouse shipment logs. He’s been operating as a private enforcer under Henderson authority. Building access logs tied him to floor 28, and now..."

She tapped the screen.

"Scheduled Transfer: Asset 4X9 – Departure: Golden Hay HQ to Arligent Hills Estate. Time: 12:40 AM tonight."

Darren’s voice was shaky. "He’s the one who has Grant. They’re moving him."

"They didn’t even name him," Marilyn said. "Just labeled him an ’asset.’"

Darren’s entire frame stiffened. "That means it’s a final extraction. They’re erasing him permanently."

"Are they going to kill him?" Rachel asked with wide eyes.

"I don’t know, but we’re not going to wait to find out."

Marilyn saw the fire in Darren’s eyes. One she recognized from soldiers when they were about to do something brazen.

"Do you really want to go this route?" she asked.

Darren’s voice was iron. "I’m old enough to hold a gun, Marilyn. Get the agents ready. We intercept the convoy."