Page 12 of Forbidden Access

“I’m fine, thanks.”

She glanced at the nearly empty bottle on the table. “Better to keep a clear head.” Not that she cared if he got drunk, but it wouldn’t help if there was an emergency.

His expression darkened, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he pushed the bottle away, setting the glass down.

“What do you do to unwind, Special Agent Thorn?”

“More questions?” She raised an eyebrow, keeping her tone light despite the tension simmering beneath the surface.

He shrugged, leaning back on the sofa. “What’s wrong with getting to know each other?”

Thorn studied him, trying to read the emotions flickering behind his gray eyes. Was he genuinely curious, or was he probing, looking for a weakness to exploit? She couldn’t tell, and that bothered her.

She decided to turn the tables. “How did you get involved in crypto development?”

His gaze sharpened. “You mean how did I become a target?”

She nodded, leaning against the wall, her arms crossed.

“I made the mistake of pissing off some very powerful people,” he said. “But you already know that.”

“How did you get involved with them?” She ignored the jibe.

He rubbed his temples as if the question pained him. “It’s a long story.”

“We’ve got all night.”

He gave a reluctant nod. “True.”

Thorn sat down on the opposite sofa, her back to the wall. From this position, she could scan the entire room, and react instantly if anyone came in through the door or the windows.

Damian set down his glass. “When I developed Lydian, my aim was to create a cryptocurrency that was truly anonymous, free from the controls of traditional banking systems. I wanted to offer an alternative for people in developing countries, a way to participate in the global economy without the restrictions imposed by their governments.”

Thorn narrowed her eyes. “And you didn’t think criminals would jump at the chance to use that anonymity for their own purposes?”

He clenched his jaw, his eyes hardening. “Of course, I did. But I thought the good would outweigh the bad.”

She scoffed. “That’s a pretty naïve assumption for someone as smart as you.”

His gaze locked on hers, and she could see the anger simmering beneath the surface. “Maybe I was naïve,” he admitted, his voice low, almost a growl. “But I’ve learned a lot since then. That’s why I’m trying to fix it.”

“Fix it?” She tilted her head, studying him. “Or cover your tracks?”

His fists clenched, and for a moment, she thought he might explode. But instead, he took a deep breath, visibly reigning in his temper. “I’m not trying to cover anything up. I’m trying to do the right thing.”

“By working with the FBI? Or is this just another deal to save your own skin?”

Damian stood abruptly, his face inches from hers, his gray eyes flashing with anger. “You don’t know a damn thing about me, Thorn. You think you have me all figured out, but you don’t. I’m doing this because I have to, because it’s the only way to set things right.”

Thorn held his gaze, refusing to back down. “You don’t get to play the victim here, Damian. People have died because of what you created. Innocent people. You don’t get to wash your hands of that.”

His breathing was ragged, his fists still clenched at his sides. “I’m not washing my hands of anything. I’m trying to make amends. But don’t you dare lecture me about morality. I know what I’ve done, and I know what it’s cost me.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but the look in his eyes stopped her.

There was more there, more pain, more guilt than she’d expected. He wasn’t just angry—he was haunted.

In that moment, she saw a glimpse of the man behind the billionaire, the man who had once believed he could change the world.

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