Rebirth: Love me Again

[EVE]

"Yeah, Cole. What's your story? What do you do? What does your family do?"

I took a sip of water, silently hoping Cole wouldn't take the bait. Knowing him, his answer could either diffuse the situation or set the room on fire. There was no in-between.

Cole shrugged, his expression as nonchalant as ever. "Business."

The vague reply earned a few raised eyebrows.

"What kind of business?" George pressed, leaning forward like he'd just sniffed out a secret.

Cole looked entirely unfazed as he replied, "The works . . . real estate, shipping, jewelry, malls—stuff like that."

I nearly choked on my water, hastily swallowing it before anyone noticed. I knew that was probably just the surface of what Cole's family was involved in. He was underselling it so much, I almost felt insulted on his behalf.

The guys exchanged looks, unsure whether he was being serious or messing with them.

"Wait," one of them said, laughing nervously. "Are you saying your family owns all that? Like . . . how many malls are we talking here?"

Cole tilted his head, pretending to think. "I don't know. A few dozen, maybe? I haven't counted."

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. The way he said it was so casual, like he was talking about collecting stamps instead of owning a mall empire.

George narrowed his eyes, clearly not satisfied. "And you just . . . manage all that?"

"No," Cole replied simply, his tone as dry as a desert. "I don't manage it. Other people do. I just live my life."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The room fell silent for a beat, the other guys clearly trying to decide if they should be impressed or annoyed.

Riri, ever the social butterfly, swooped in to save the moment.

"Wow, Cole! That's amazing," she said, grinning. "So you're, like, the mysterious billionaire type?" She leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Don't worry, Eve, I won't tell anyone he's your bodyguard."

I nearly choked again. "T-thanks . . ."

Cole leaned back in his chair, his lips twitching into a faint smirk. "Something like that."

The tension deflated slightly, but George wasn't ready to let it go. "If your family's so rich, why are you hanging around here? Shouldn't you be jetting off to Monaco or something?"

Cole's smirk deepened. "What can I say? I like the view here." His eyes flicked to me for just a moment, but it was enough to make my face heat up.

The others took Cole's comment at face value and laughed, while the girls exchanged knowing smirks and threw me curious glances.

I, on the other hand, tried to exude an air of obliviousness, silently praying that the heat creeping up my cheeks could be blamed on the alcohol I wasn't drinking.

The men in the room, however, weren't fooled by Cole's laid-back demeanor. They saw an opportunity to mess with him and make him the scapegoat of the evening, using it as a chance to boost their own egos.

After all, compared to their flashy attire and bragging, Cole was dressed simply—no designer labels in sight. The only notable thing on him was a sleek, limited-edition watch that, for all they knew, could've been a knockoff.

"So, you're in the business side of things," one of them started, his tone dripping with skepticism. "But do you

own

anything, or are you just an investor?"

"Yeah, because, you know, anyone can claim they own shares," another chimed in, leaning back smugly. "Doesn't really mean much unless you own the whole thing."

"Exactly," a third added. "By the way, what's your family name? Maybe we've heard of you."

I pressed my lips together, nervously glancing at Cole. He was completely unbothered, his gaze fixed solely on me, as though the others were just background noise.

I mouthed the word

silence

, hoping he wouldn't escalate things.

To my surprise, he chuckled softly, then turned to them with an easy smile. "Sorry, but I don't give my name to just anyone. You have to earn it to know it."

His tone wasn't arrogant—it was calm, matter-of-fact, like it was a universal truth. And yet, the sheer confidence in his words silenced the room.

The men stared at him, stunned. The women? Well, let's just say I saw more than one of them biting their lips and glancing at him like he was the leading man in a romance drama.

In one sentence, he'd effortlessly commanded all the attention in the room.

"Your bodyguard is . . .

so hot

," Riri whispered, leaning toward me.

"You have no idea," I muttered under my breath, trying not to roll my eyes.

The men eventually recovered, their laughter turning pointed.

"Maybe you're not such a big shot after all if you're scared to share your name."

"Yeah, are you just pretending to be someone important?"

"Everyone here knows each other or their families, but you? Never heard of you."

"Wearing a mask? Sounds like you've got something to hide."

One of them snickered, adding, "Or maybe you're just ugly and poor, trying to impress the ladies for once."

I stiffened, my gaze flickering to Cole, worried they might finally get under his skin. But to my amazement, he still didn't seem the least bit ruffled. His eyes remained locked on me, his calm demeanor unshaken.

Just then, the bill arrived, cutting through the rising tension.

The girls immediately reached for their bags, pretending to pull out their wallets. Riri fumbled with her purse, and I frowned, leaning over to whisper, "Let the guys pay."

"It's just for show," she whispered back with a sly grin, wiggling her brows.

Right on cue, the men launched into the expected chorus. "No, no, we'll pay," they insisted grandly, puffing up their chests like heroes in a rom-com.

I couldn't help but wonder just how many mixers Riri had attended to perfect this playbook.

One of the guys reached for the bill and froze mid-motion, his eyes widening as he read it. "T-two million?!"

"What?!" another exclaimed, leaning over to check.

"How did it get that high?"