Chapter 30
CHAPTER 30
T horn listened to Damian’s announcement, her heart swelling with pride. He stood tall on the stage, his voice steady and confident as he addressed the crowd.
“I know this is a big change, but my team and I believe it’s the right move. Lydian will continue to grow, ensuring safe and secure transactions across its global network while also remaining a high-performing investment. The added transparency, similar to what you see with other cryptocurrencies, will help us crack down on illegitimate use that fuels criminal activity and terrorism. As an ethical company, we’re committed to this path, and we hope you’ll stick with us on this journey. Thank you.”
As his words echoed through the conference room, the audience erupted into muted cheers. Thorn could sense the undercurrent of shock. It would take a while for the implications to fully sink in. Right now, Lydian’s dark web users were likely in a frenzy, scrambling to sell off their currency, sending its value plummeting. Thorn knew Damian was okay with that. He’d prepared for it. This crash—potentially one of epic proportions —was a necessary evil, a cleansing fire that would burn away the corruption tainting his creation.
She glanced at him from the sidelines, taking in the determined set of his jaw, the way his eyes scanned the crowd, unwavering. He looked every bit the leader he was, standing there behind the bulletproof screen with Hawk and Phoenix—another operative who’d flown in that morning—beside him. Damn if he didn’t look good. Longing hit her in the gut, a physical ache that made her fingers twitch with the need to touch him. To pull him into her arms and tell him how proud she was. But she had to be patient. Everyone wanted a piece of him right now—Pat, the FBI, his company. And nobody knew about their relationship. They had to keep it under wraps until this whole assignment was well and truly over.
After the fire had been extinguished and the chaos subsided, the hotel had returned to some semblance of normalcy. CryptoCon had resumed, and Damian’s announcement had been rescheduled for this morning. The timing was almost poetic—Alek Markov had failed in his assassination attempt, and now, Damian was pushing forward with his vision, undeterred.
The upgrade Damian had installed with James, his brilliant head developer, was already live. Thorn marveled at the complexity of what they had accomplished. The update was designed to insert a transparent ledger into the previously anonymous transactions, stripping away the veil that had allowed criminals to hide in plain sight. It was a masterstroke, a way to weaponize Lydian against those who sought to use it for nefarious purposes. The transition had been seamless, the code slipping into the system without causing a ripple.
Damian had ensured that Lydian would rise from the ashes, just like the Phoenix statue in his Silicon Valley headquarters.
Thorn’s grin widened as she caught Damian’s eye from across the room. There was a secret smile there, a knowing look that made her heart sing. But just as she was about to step forward, the FBI agents moved in.
“Mr. Clayton, if you’ll come with us.”
He didn’t resist, and Thorn’s heart clenched with the weight of what was coming next. She knew the drill.
The FBI would take him into custody, not as a suspect, but as a critical asset. Damian’s help was essential in unmasking Lydian’s more infamous users—criminals, terrorists, people who had been hiding behind the cryptocurrency’s shield of anonymity for far too long. Alek Markov was now the FBI’s Most Wanted, and Damian was their key to bringing him down.
Thorn watched as he was led away, the media descending like vultures, microphones thrust forward, eager for a statement.
“Mr. Clayton, how do you see the changes you’ve announced today influencing the industry in general?”
“Damian, will Lydian survive this shock announcement?”
The frenzy had begun.
Thorn was grateful that the focus was on the upgrade, on the future of Lydian, rather than the drama that had unfolded only a week ago with their spontaneous wedding. But as much as she wanted to go to him, she held back.
It wasn’t their time. Yet.
As he disappeared into the crowd of agents and reporters, Pat tapped her on the shoulder, breaking her out of her thoughts. “Debrief. Let’s go.”
She nodded, casting one last lingering look at the man she loved before following her boss into the hallway.
She wouldn’t get a chance to talk to Damian until after the FBI were done with him, and that could take days, if not weeks. The Feds were taking him to Washington, D.C., which was fine—Blackthorn Security was based there too, close to the halls of power. But the separation gnawed at her, the uncertainty of when she’d see him again.
The debrief was over quickly, Pat running through the key points with military precision, before dismissing them for some personal time. They were due back at the office in D.C. on Monday, but for now, they had a few hours to themselves.
Thorn headed up to her room to collect her stuff when Hawk sidled up to her, his expression casual but his eyes sharp.
“So, when are you going to see Clayton again?”
She glanced sideways at him, playing it cool. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Come on. I saw the way you two were looking at each other. That kiss? The one in the wedding photo? Phew! ” He fanned himself.
“Oh, that.”
“Yeah, that.”
“It was nothing,” she said, but even to her own ears, it sounded weak, unconvincing.
Hawk smirked. “Don’t bullshit a bullshitter, Thorn. I can see what’s happening here. You’ve fallen for him big time, haven’t you?”
Her heart skipped a beat. Was she that transparent? The thought sent a ripple of unease through her. She was supposed to be a professional, supposed to keep her emotions in check. “That’s bullshit,” she replied, but her laugh was uneasy, forced.
“You should go to him.”
She sighed, rubbing her temples. There was no point in denying it. Hawk had her pegged.
“I can’t, he’s in custody.” Then, after a beat, “Does Pat know?” Somehow, her boss saw everything. He was like some omniscient being who knew exactly what was going on with all his operatives, even the new ones.
“He suspects, I think, but I haven’t said anything.”
“Thank you,” she breathed, relief flooding through her. “I don’t want to get into trouble. This is my first assignment for the agency.”
“You won’t. My lips are sealed.”
She shot him a grateful grin before heading back to her room. But the thought of Damian being in custody, away from her, dragged her down. She was due back at work on Monday, and he’d be tied up with the FBI for the foreseeable future. After that, he’d probably go back to his mansion in San Francisco.
How would they ever find the time to see each other?
The thought weighed on her, but she pushed it aside. At least they didn’t have this threat hanging over them anymore. Damian was safe. Or as safe as he could be under the circumstances.
Markov would be on the run, scrambling to cover his tracks. There was no point in sending more thugs after Damian. They just had to bide their time, and then they could be together. Somehow, they’d make it work.