Her face fell, and she tried to walk past them without acknowledging their presence. Alexander stepped in front of her. "Eli, Mom and Dad came to congratulate you on your new restaurant. Look, they even brought you a gift." Alexander opened the gift box to show what his parents had brought.

But Eliana coldly pushed it away, glaring at him. "How many times do I have to tell you? Stay out of my sight. I don't want anything from you people."

Alexander tried to protest, ...