[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.