Chapter 7: Rooftop garden

Evie and Asher sent out the others, they were left alone. Or rather, Asher delayed his exit leaving Evie no choice but to accompany him. She wasn't particularly overjoyed about it. However, considering that she had just had just completed a successful handover, it didn't hurt to accommodate the man.

"Would you join me for a tour of the roof?" Evie asked with a measured smile.

She rarely let anyone in her small paradise but since the man now owned the company, he would have the courtesy of viewing her side hobby. After all, it wouldn't remain there much longer. 

Asher was internally surprised. He remembered there were precisely 60 floors in addition to the lower parking space on the elevator buttons.

"I would love to," Asher politely accepted.

A beautiful smile found Evie's lips as she led Asher to a private elevator within her office. She scanned a key card and motioned for Asher.

As usual, the lift was silent. Neither of them was into small talk.

Ding!

The doors opened to a plant paradise.

A textile maze-like walkway extended into this kingdom of plants. The elevator and the rest of the floor were like two worlds apart, the difference was stark.

An astonished expression found Asher's face. The dome was covered by stainless glass, allowing ample light to shed in the garden. It was like a conservatory.

"Are you allergic to pollen, Mr. Demir?" asked Evie.

'Don't you think you should have asked that before bringing me here?' Asher Lampooned. 

"No. No allergies. Miss Adrienne, this is…?" Asher couldn't find the words to describe the sight in front of him. He had seen many rooftops but never one that adopted a densely populated plant garden.

"A hobby of mine. Oh, not gardening, but collecting plants." Evies caressed the glossy surface of a leaf, the plant was taller than her. Her gaze found tranquil as she stood amid plants. Asher's gaze was unwittingly attracted to this sight.

Yet again, a new puzzle piece of the woman called Evie Adrienne, yet a bigger paradox to solve.

Evie strolled along the garden, she couldn't help but notice his silence. She took the lead and turned and stopped in front of Asher and asked, "I take it you have something to discuss with me?"

Her cold voice broke Asher from his stupor. When he met her eyes, he felt an inexplicable need to reach out to her.

"This a lovely garden," Asher praised.

Of course, he didn't know he was annoying Evie more with the stalling. Evie crossed her hands on her chest and hummed in agreement.

"I know!" she said in a matter-of-factly voice.

Asher sensed the impatience in her tone. He understood he had kept her waiting. Asher regained his calm.

"Please excuse me but I am curious. Your actions are incomprehensible to me as a fellow businessperson, Miss Adrienne. You sold a company on a steady path to growth, with plenty of profit and a high potential of monopolizing the entire stone market without a second thought." Asher voiced his doubts.

"Go on." Evie didn't see why he would be concerned about that. Her vivid violet eyes stared at Asher as he found the question he wanted to ask.

"If I may ask, what brought about such an abrupt decision?" Asher asked well aware it could be considered to be crossing personal boundaries.

'Abrupt decision?' This was indeed a sudden decision but it wasn't without its merits.

Evie fell silent in contemplation. She hadn't thought about it too much.

Why should I sell my company?

Money? Freedom? Urgency? Investment? 

In short, it was for one reason…

"It is a bet, Mr. Demir. A gamble. I would like to stake the company for something bigger." Evie's smile grew on her lips and her eyes shone with brilliance. This confidence gave her an otherworldly charming aura.

To stake it all for her hunch which could be completely wrong or, absolutely right! She had always done so. Taking momentary risks based on hunch alone factored heavily in successfully growing her company.

It wasn't any different this time. 

It was simply what she was staking was in proportion was much bigger. Her entire life foundation, her career, her income, her hard work… 

The stakes were high, higher than any before. Thus the returns should be just as high.

Evie didn't have to sell the company to prepare for the apocalypse. No, not at all. She had enough net worth of money to spend from her funds alone. 

There was also the choice of getting a huge loan from the bank, which she inconsequentially never had to pay back. All in all, selling the company was never a necessity!

But Evie wanted to stake everything. 

She had always loved the thrill of staking something. It was in win-or-lose situations that she gave her best performance.

Of course, she wouldn't let that money go to waste, she would buy endless supplies to last a lifetime. 

Evie wasn't a saint, she didn't do this for the masses. After all, they contributed nothing in her one-man endeavor in preparing for the possible apocalypse. So in that right, she had no obligation to help others. 

That didn't mean she would stay secluded all her life. She would make new connections in the changing world. Evie simply wanted to have the upper hand in this new world. She greatly felt that in this new world, her abilities wouldn't diminish. 

She had to make sure her status in the upcoming dystopian world was that of royalty. So looking at it from that perspective, such a small loss wasn't too bad.

'I digress'

Evie reigned in her wandering thoughts.

Asher tried to deduce anything from such a vague answer but he found himself confused. He tilted his head and stared at Evie's violet eyes in a daze. The cold and mysterious gleam remained despite her smiling lips and found her even more intriguing. 

She was a paradox. A Pandora's box. Full of mystery and far too many layers to completely uncover. Asher found himself wanting to uncover her.