"Ahh... Hang on! Hang on! Don't press all your body weight on me! Kyle! Shina!"
No matter how much Elizara struggled in their arms, they didn't loose their hold on her.
"Fiery, we missed you so much," Both shrieked at the same time.
"Where were you for so long? How could you abandon us like that? Do you know how worried we were for not getting your news for so long?" Shina cried as she started to shake Elizara lightly.
"Fiery, were you okay? Did something happen to you? Why didn't you write us any letters? We couldn't even find any traces of you. We searched almost the whole world. We were so damn worried, especially Alex. He was so worried after not getting any news of yours, that he buried himself into work. Never once taking a break. Thank god, after adopting Lily a year back, that he has finally stabilized a little," Kyle whined along side Shina.
Elizara who was non-stop shook by Shina, blankly looked at them. With all the shaking, her face was fully exposed as the clothing covering her face was slipped off.
"Guys," Elizara pouted as she spoke, "I'll answer everything slowly, but before that don't you think, you should give justice to me."
Her doey blue eyes, pale white face along with curly black hair made everyone heart stop for a while.
Even the father-son duo sitting inside the restaurant was dazed.
"What just- Oh I see. You over there," Kyle pointed at James, "You are fired. You don't have to come from tomorrow onwards."
James who was slightly dazed for a moment, came back to his senses immediately, "But Lord, why? I didn't-"
His words were cut short by a strong and domineering voice that came from inside the restaurant, "One more word Sir James, and you'll face the restaurant's punishments. And I think you are well aware of the punishments, right?"
"B-But why me?"
"Because you disrespected the owner of this restaurant." Kyle said as he threw a pouch filled with coins to James.
Everyone gasped at the news and scrutinizingly looked at Elizara. No one could have imagined this young poorly dressed lady was the owner of the renowned restaurant.
There were many whispers again. But the memberd ignored it and excitedly dragged Elizara inside the restaurant.
The restaurant was shortly closed for the day as all the members gathered around her.
All of them asked about her, except Alextin. He kept quiet and kept on looking at her accusingly.
Elizara sighed and told them all of her life story except the part where she died and was reborn. She also skipped the part whom she had married. She told them he was another commoner.
Hearing that she had gotten married without them knowing and even had an unhappy marriage all were aggrieved and sad for her.
Later it accelerated to such a moment that all of them crying except Elizara and Alextin and Elizara ended up coaxing them.
"Sob... sob... Fiery, this time... sob... you won't leave us again, right?" Rebecca asked while controlling herself as she hugged Fiery tightly.
Alextin also looked at her hopefully with his side eye.
Elizara sighed and nodded her head, "This time I won't leave. Never ever. Let's stay together until the end."
"Yes. Stay together until the end." All echoed.
But amidst everything, Alextin suddenly got up from his place and left the room.
Elizara looked at him and pursed her lips.
Raphael sighed and said, "Fiery, you should go and coax him a little, you know. Afterall both of you were too attached back then. Your sudden disappearance had greatly hurt him. Moreover, there's something that only you two can sort out."
"Hmm. Okay," Elizara nodded and hurriedly followed behind Alextin.
Since the restaurant was closed and no people were in there, Elizara quickly found Alextin who was drowning himself in a bottle of wine.
"Alex," Elizara softly called out, but was ignored.
She sighed as she knew how much her inconsiderate actions had hurt everyone, specially him.
She walked near him, and took a spot right beside him.
"I won't be saying sorry as I know my apology won't disappear the hurt and troubles you got because of me. But," She took a fresh wine bottle and gulped down a mouthful, "I hope you can give me a chance to make it up to you."
Alex looked at the woman who he had missed so much for past six years and opened his mouth to say something, but didn't know what to say. So he gulped down the last bit of wine in the bottle and was about to take another bottle, when a soft touch on his hand stopped him.
"You already had one bottle. You can't take another one. Or else your stomach will-"
"Hah! Hypocrisy, aren't we?" Alextin sneered as he snatched another bottle with his other hand and gulped it down.
"ALEXXX! Stop it," Elizara shrieked as she well knew how painful it will be for his stomach once the next day comes.
"Now you care? Huh? NOW YOU FU*KING CARE? Where were you when we were searching all over the continent for you? Where were you when we were dying every day, every moment to get a single news about you? Huh? TELL ME! SIX YEARS, FIERY! SIX YEARS! Didn't it ever occur to you to contact us once? Just once?! Now that finally, FINALLY, I learnt to live without you, you come back! You come back with a broken soul! With a broken marriage! Huhhhh? Do you think we will pity you and will go like how we used to be? Oh, I'm sorry. You bought them with your story! But guess what?! I'll never ever forgive you for leaving me, leaving us, Fiery! NEVERRRR!"
With that said, Alextin threw the half-filled wine bottle near her legs and dashed out of the restaurant, leaving Elizara as a crying mess.
The moment Alextin left, Elizara's legs gave up. She slipped slightly and fell on her knees, crying, "I'm so sorry, Alex. Please, please give me another chance to make amends."
Not knowing that two pairs of eyes who didn't left the restaurant when Kyle and Shina asked everyone to leave, were scrutinizing her from the upstairs of the restaurant.