A Gift From Santa.

Marcus looked up at the house, which was decorated with colorful lanterns. The tree trunks in the garden were tied with garlands that continued along the branches and turned trees into plants from a magical forest.

"I told you that David will decorate the house. Looks cool, doesn't it? Tomorrow we'll be decorating your base. Such a huge building simply stands in vain as a gray spot in the middle of the forest." A triumphant smile shone on Elena's face. She grabbed Marcus by the arm and pulled him to the door of the house.

"This idea is unlikely to please your husband. As is my presence today," the man smirked.

Marcus was sure David would not be happy with his company. However, Taubert did not care. He was used to doing what he thought was necessary, and if someone's opinion was important to him, it was the opinion of his daughter. Therefore, over the past few hours, he allowed himself to lose control of the situation, which Elena took advantage of. On the other hand, she did not ask his opinion either but presented him with a fact.

Elena made him choose gifts for each family member along with her. They were first taken to the base, where the woman ordered Marcus and Simon to pack them, put them in a large box, pack it again, wrap it with tape, and then, by helicopter, deliver this box directly to her yard.

Marcus's subordinates, especially those accustomed to performing tasks that required using weapons, did not even look up in fear as they plunged a huge colorful box into the helicopter.

Their boss with a stone face followed the fulfillment of the task, and the men were afraid to guess what might be inside. Mentally, they all agreed that it was some kind of bacteriological weapon or a super-modern bomb that the boss decided to send as a "gift" to some competitor that decided to go against Taubert.

Knowing their master, they wished the soul of that "lucky man" to rest in peace after a quick or, on the contrary, painful death.

Taubert was not surprised when, some time later, an incoming call from David Anderson flashed on his phone display. He had already received notifications that David was trying to get on his trail and contact him, but while Elena was unconscious, Marcus had no desire to communicate with anyone.

"Not only did you steal my wife, do you have the nerve to send me Christmas presents? Marcus Taubert, are you out of your mind at all? Or did a stone fall on your head in the pyramid and damage it?" David cursed into the phone as soon as Marcus accepted the call.

"Merry Christmas, David. If you're a good boy, so be it, Santa will give you another present today."

"Screw you, Taubert. I don't need anything from you. Bring Elena back today before I lose my temper. Believe me, even if you take control of the whole world, I will find a way to spoil your mood."

"Huh, talking to you, on the contrary, cheers me up," laughed Marcus, "Your persistence and straightforwardness are admirable. Elena chose a good husband. Well done, girl."

Marcus walked along the corridor and the subordinates he met along the way lowered their heads and bowed respectfully, after which they looked in surprise at him. Seeing the boss with a smile on his face was like falling snow in the middle of summer.

There was a short silence on the phone.

"How is she?"

"Hmm, she was unconscious for a week and only woke up today, but she is already cooking something. She said you'd like it." Marcus stopped at the door that opened the entrance to the kitchen and peered into the room through the glass. Simon and Elena were bustling about the stove and chatting about something merrily.

David's relieved exhalation did not escape Taubert's keen ears.

"I will have a request for you."

"Your last request ended with you nearly killing Elena and Nick. Do you think after this we can have some kind of conversation?" David answered in a calm voice.

"Well, I didn't kill her," Marcus quipped, repeating the words of his daughter, "You have been very restrained the last days. I thought you would rush to look for your wife, but you only tried to contact me a couple of times, and then, you didn't show much persistence."

"You taught a good lesson back then in illusion. I knew Elena was okay. Yes, and Armand enlightened us in some issues," David spoke evenly and confidently, "Therefore, I was busy solving cases that did not require delay for a reason known to both of us."

Marcus didn't go into the kitchen. He leaned against the wall opposite the doors, and watched the merry company through them, continuing the conversation with Anderson. "Yes, I was told that Lenali Enterprise has prepared its offices in case of an emergency such as a pandemic or natural disaster. Most prudent and commendable. I even guess which way the wind is blowing from. Elena also enlightened me that your cousin Nick is an unusual person."

"You steer clear of Nicholas, Marcus. I'm serious," David's voice immediately took on a metallic note, "You don't know what this kid went through. I don't care what you're up to, I'll do my best to prevent this from happening. I warn you in advance. And I will not look at the fact that you are Elena's father."

"You know, your answer intrigues me even more. And I am impressed by your desire to protect your family. In this, we have the same motivation, so my plans remain in effect. Now I warn you in advance. Oh, it seems your beloved wife has finished her cooking business,"

Marcus noticed as Elena took out a baking sheet from the oven with ready-made pastries, "Expect a visit soon. By the way, the gifts were not from me, but from Elena. I hope you haven't thrown them away, have you?" Taubert did not wait for an answer from David and was the first to hang up.

He walked into the kitchen and immediately plunged into the aromas of cinnamon and vanilla. There were two baking trays on the table - one with delicious croissants, and the other with something black and burnt-looking that must have been cookies.

"Mmm, it smells very good," Marcus praised his daughter, Elena broke off a piece of croissant and handed it to her father. Taubert put it in his mouth and began to chew.

"Well, how is it?" the woman's eyes looked with anticipation.

"It's aw...-awesome," Marcus managed to utter, tears welled up in his eyes, "This is the best I've ever tasted."

"Fine! Others will like it too then!" Elena took a baking sheet in her hands and went with it to another table, where there was already a box for packing pastries.

Marcus poured a glass of water and drank it in one gulp, turned to Simon, "Be in my office in five minutes."

"Any business, Master?"

"Nothing special. I want to prepare a gift for one naughty son-in-law," Marcus grinned maliciously, nodded to Elena and disappeared into thin air.

An hour later, he and his daughter were already standing at the door of her house.

"What it is?" she asked, glancing at the envelope in Marcus's hands.

"A bribe to your husband."

"David doesn't take bribes."

"I do not care."

Elena smiled, pressed the bell, and in less than five seconds David flung open the door and grabbed the woman into his arms. "God, you can't imagine how I worried about you," he whispered, pressing Elena to him even tighter. "Are you okay?"

Elena buried her nose in her husband's neck and breathed in his scent. Real. This David was real. "Thank you for calling me and helping me find my way home."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, moving away from his wife for a second and looking at her face. Surprise flashed in his eyes, but Elena didn't let him speak.

"Later. I'll tell you later," she raised herself on her toes and kissed David on the lips, "I love you. I'm going to take the box to the kitchen while you talk to dad. He has a present for you," the woman slipped out of her husband's arms and disappeared behind the next door. David was surprised to see Elena in such high spirits as if nothing had happened.

He reluctantly turned his gaze to "dad" who was standing on the doorstep.

"As you can see, today I came by invitation," Marcus adjusted Santa's red cap on his head and stepped over the threshold.

"You are not welcome," David greeted with undisguised sarcasm and slammed the door behind Taubert.

Marcus clicked his tongue, ignoring the quip, "You've been a good boy all year, David Anderson. Santa gives you a gift for that." The man handed David a thick envelope and walked with a relaxed gait into the living room as to his home. David did not expect exquisite manners from Marcus, anyway.

The envelope in Anderson's hands turned out to be heavy; he opened it and took out a thick folder of bound papers, read the title.

"Marcus Taubert, you're absolutely crazy," David said quietly, but he knew Marcus heard him.

In the hands of the man was a signed merger agreement between Marc Technologies and Lenali Enterprise. A controlling stake in two companies, which now owned the whole world, passed into the possession of David and Elena Anderson.