Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 23: Are You Willing to Invest Again?

Matthew thought about it for a long moment before answering, "I'll look into it when I get back. If it's really like what you said, I'm not going to help him hurt others."

...

After Matthew left, Mariella shut the garage door and transferred all the medical supplies into her storage space.

The metal medical equipment with no expiration dates was stacked inside the living quarters, while the disposable items with shelf lives were stored separately in the storage space.

All kinds of medicine, vaccines, and 20 boxes of condoms in different sizes were stored in the storage space.

The virtual display showed that 110 cubic feet of storage space remained.

Mariella looked at the large empty area and rubbed her hands together, eager to pack every bit of it with supplies.

But she barely had any money left.

Just as she was worrying about how to get more money to keep stocking up, her phone rang. The County Recorder's Office called to inform her that the property deed was ready for pickup.

...

After picking up the property deed, Mariella was invited into the Celestine Ridge homeowners' group chat and officially became one of the residents.

She immediately called Kieran to thank him and used that as an excuse to invite him out for a meal.

Kieran had been doing extremely well in business lately. He had taken several major projects from the Graham Group, while Harvey was stuck in detention with no way to fight back.

He had made a killing, so naturally he was in a great mood.

When he saw Mariella calling, he answered right away.

"Hey, sweetheart!" Kieran spoke with a playful tone, clearly riding high on his recent success. "Missing me already? I thought you forgot all about me."

Mariella could tell from his tone that he had been winning big in the business world lately.

That wasn't just because of the key business intelligence Mariella had provided to support the Hancock Group. Harvey's two detentions had also directly influenced the Graham Group management's decision-making.

At this point, the Hancock Group was already showing signs of crushing the Graham Group.

Mariella didn't waste time and went straight to the point, "I got the property deed, and now we're neighbors. Let me take Mr. Hancock out for a meal."

"Sounds good. You pick the time and place." After getting such a huge payoff last time, there was no way Kieran would say no to the invitation.

...

When they met again, Kieran looked at Mariella with a bit more respect and threw in a few compliments. "I heard you took on three attackers by yourself and fought them off. You've become quite the local heroine at Celestine Ridge. I didn't see that coming. When did you pick up those skills?"

Mariella waved it off. "Just luck."

Kieran didn't take it too seriously. He figured the rumor was either exaggerated or there was more to it.

There was only one thing he really cared about. "So what good news did you bring me this time?"

Mariella gave him a knowing smile. "I've got a deal that guarantees profit. Interested in investing, Mr. Hancock?"

Kieran's eyes lit up. "I'm listening."

"The details are confidential for now." Mariella blinked.

Kieran was stunned speechless by her reply.

Seeing she had fully reeled him in, Mariella finally got to the point. "If Mr. Hancock invests 100 million with me, I'll pay back double the principal in three months. What do you think?"

Kieran's eyelid twitched. His instincts as a businessman immediately told him something was off.

There was no such thing as guaranteed profit, and doubling the principal in 3 months sounded exactly like a scam.

Mariella followed up at just the right moment, "Mr. Hancock, was that 100 million you spent last time worth it?"

At that, Kieran's expression brightened instantly.

Yes! It was absolutely worth it!

Mariella asked, "Are you willing to invest again?"

"I am!"

...

After the meal, Kieran left the restaurant. Once he got into his car, something started to feel off.

Last time, he had spent 100 million and made a huge profit from the intel. But this time, he had handed over another 100 million without seeing anything first. That did feel a bit foolish.

He rubbed his nose, feeling like he might have been played.

But then again, he had earned more than enough last time. Even if he gave Mariella another 100 million, it wouldn't matter much.

Kieran decided not to dwell on it.

"Drive."

...

Mariella's account now had another 100 million, and her impression of Kieran improved a lot.

He was a sharp businessman. There was no way he didn't see the risks in this deal, yet he still paid without hesitation.

That showed he was not someone who sweated the small stuff.

After all, she had helped him earn far more than enough last time. Even if this 100 million was lost, he could treat it as a bonus for her.

Since Kieran had shown good faith, Mariella decided she wouldn't let him down.

When the disaster came, that money would lose value quickly anyway. At that point, she would exchange it for supplies worth three times as much, which would be far more useful than holding onto cash.

Now she had another 100 million on hand, over 100 additional cubic feet of storage space, and her living area inside the storage space had expanded by nearly 200 square feet. She could finally go back to stockpiling without worry.

Mariella was just about to roll up her sleeves and get to work when she realized she was being followed again.