Bitcoin Billionaire: I Regressed to Invest in the First Bitcoin!-Chapter 182: Darren’s Biggest Challenge

As Gillian Henderson's clever plans were slowly coming to fruition, the Steele Complex and its residents were... celebrating.

The early sunlight streamed through the towering windows of the domescraper, its golden rays glinting off polished steel surfaces and casting intricate patterns across the sleek black marble floors.

The air carried the buoyant charge of triumph, a palpable sense of victory following Darren Steele's recent acquisition of Delverate, a coup that had solidified his empire's dominance.

But this celebration was not for everyone.

Darren was still troubled, rightfully so as there were things that hadn't been straightened out yet.

He stood in the heart of the operations wing, arms folded tightly across his chest, his gaze fixed on the expansive, curved data board dominating the wall.

It was Trendteller's growth, and even as worrisome as the slight dip appeared to be, it wasn't what Darren was presently thinking about.

Something was amiss, elsewhere. A faint discord rippled beneath the surface of what should have been a flawless morning to him.

Behind him, the urgent collaboration of his employees were present, Rachel, Amelia, Daisy and Vance huddled together, their voices a steady undercurrent as they navigated a labyrinth of dashboards, legal reports, and fund-tracking screens, each tap and swipe a thread in the tapestry of their investigation.

Rachel's brow furrowed as she studied her computer, her finger hovering over a blinking line of data that seemed to pulse with warning. "There it is again," she pointed out, concern in her voice. "That delay. We sent a routine audit query to the Golden Hay shareholder registry. It's standard procedure, and they should've been back in under five hours. But it's been two days, and nothing."

Amelia spun her screen toward the group, her expression equally grim. "It's not just the registry. Grant Hayes was slated to sign off on a financial restoration request for his frozen assets. We expected board interference, maybe some pushback, but now the motion's vanished. It's like it was never logged at all, scrubbed clean from the system."

Her words hung in the air, heavy with implication, as the team exchanged glances, each grappling with the growing sense that they were staring at the edges of a carefully orchestrated shadow play.

'What the hell is going on at Golden Hay HQ?' Darren thought to himself.

He turned from the data board, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "No word from Grant?" he asked.

Rachel shook her head. "Nothing. He missed his last scheduled check-in, didn't show for the restoration review, and even his assistant's gone silent. It's like he's dropped off the grid."

Darren crossed to his desk in a few purposeful strides, his fingers tapping a rapid sequence on the keyboard. "Run Golden Hay's recent legal activity," he instructed. "Flag anything tied to the casino division."

Within moments, a cascade of files began to scroll across the screen, each line a fragment of a larger, more troubling picture. Vance leaned closer, his eyes scanning the data, and let out a soft curse under his breath. "Jesus, they've been busy."

Busy was an understatement. It was as if an unseen hand had slipped into the very framework of Golden Hay's operations, rewiring its structure with heartless precision.

The files revealed a flurry of activity— motions filed, agreements restructured, and assets quietly realigned— all executed with a stealth that bordered on artistry.

"Why are they doing this?" Amelia muttered in disbelief. "That poor kid. They're trying to take everything from him."

Darren felt his blood boiling, feeling nothing but utter disgust and rage.

Daisy pulled out a file from the stack she had with her. "I pulled this from the legal wire," she said, tossing the file onto Darren's desk, where it landed with a soft thud. "An anonymous motion was filed to suspend Grant's voting rights, citing a conflict of interest review. It's just enough red tape to sideline him. It is surprisingly legal, and was done quietly... without a trace."

Darren's jaw tightened, a muscle flickering beneath the surface as he absorbed the information. "They're freezing him out while we're still riding the high of the Delverate win," he said angrily. "Somehow it feels like this was planned."

He flipped open the file, his eyes scanning the dense legal text, each word confirming the depth of the maneuver.

"You think Delvarate and this are somehow connected?" Amelia asked. "Ryan?"

Vance tapped at his tablet, pulling up the signer logs. "That wouldn't be a stretch. The lawyers did choose MWMO to assist them with this. And…" He paused, his fingers freezing on the screen as a name emerged from the data. "Henderson's name is all over the parent holding of the casino chain. Franchise Casinos and Hotels is also managed by MWMO. Also, as we're talking, the transfer vote's already passed."

Darren's fingers drummed angrily against the desk.

"Donald Henderson hasn't been seen in months," Rachel ventured. "Could he be working this behind the scenes?"

Vance shook his head, his expression darkening. "Not fully."

He pulled up a profile, the name flashing across his screen in stark, undeniable clarity: Gillian Henderson.

"His son. I believe he's the executor."

Darren stared at the image of Gillian Henderson on the screen, remembering playing Corporate Conquest against him that night in the bar. Who knew they would cross paths like this again one day.

"Rachel," he called, his voice cutting through the low murmur of the team, "I want you to draft a status request to Golden Hay's investor relations office. Inquire about the casino asset chain, but keep it casual— vague enough not to tip our hand."

"Got it," Rachel replied, already jotting notes on her paper.

"Daisy, Vance," Darren continued, his gaze shifting to them, "start preparing a motion to challenge the legal basis for Grant's voting freeze. I want a three-angle argument— attack it from procedural failure, internal bias, and breach of fiduciary responsibility. Make it ironclad."

"On it," Daisy said, exchanging a glance with Vance. "But it won't hold water unless we have someone on the inside backing us. We need an ally within Golden Hay's ranks."

"Then we find one," Darren shot back, his tone brooking no argument. "Whatever it takes."