"Okay, then…" Loriel nodded in understanding. Elis's answer confirmed his suspicion that Elise planned to make something special for him, maybe a cake? And she wanted to make it a surprise. He touched Elise's shoulder and said, "I will see you later tonight?"

"Yes. See you."

​​

Elise stood in her place to watch Loriel enter his car and then drove off. Once the car was out of sight, she went to the bakery and opened the door using the passcode give to her by Lucius.

Once she was inside, Elise went straight to the kitchen and got ready to work.

***

When Christmas evening was fast approaching, Loriel finished the preparation for the special dinner he planned to confess his love to Elise. He was in a very good mood because of the opportunity to create the best possible setting for tonight's event.

With Elise being away to prepare her own surprise, Loriel got ample time and freedom to make his own preparation.

With Horatio's help, Loriel prepared a table with a white tablecloth and candles on it. The penthouse looked very festive because of the decorations, including the Christmas tree in the corner with presents underneath it. Loriel had bought Elise a very expensive present that he couldn't wait to give her.

Well, there were several gifts underneath the Christmas tree that belonged to her, but there was a special one inside his pocket. The man brought it out and practiced a smile.

"Elise, I hope that you'll be happy with this present," Loriel said as he pretended to hand her a small box. She wasn't yet here to open it, but when she did, he sincerely hoped he liked it.

It wasn't an engagement ring. Not at all.

Instead of something that could make her worried, Loriel decided to gift her a lovely necklace with a singular jewel. It was simple, delicate, and had a refined taste.

Its appearance was deceptively simple, but the price was something that he wished for her to not discover. Needless to say that for someone as wealthy as Loriel who could buy the whole of New York City with a click of his fingers, and had devoted his whole life to his wife, he would definitely get something exorbitant in price.

Well, how much it costs was irrelevant to him. Loriel just hoped that Elise would like it and also accept his confession later.

What was left for the both of them was seeing each other during dinner. Loriel looked around his surroundings once more before he went to his room to clean himself up for the occasion.

***

Elise returned to the penthouse carrying the beautifully boxed cake. It had a cute bow tied around it and one can see the contents of a delicious-looking three-layered cake. She was aware that no doubt, Loriel prepared a feast for them.

The man enjoyed cooking dinner and had a wonderful palate.

Elise relished and looked forward to his cooking, so she hoped that Loriel would like her own baking. It was a small present that she'd like to give him this Christmas and a dessert that the two of them could share together.

"I've returned..." Elise's voice trailed off.

The lights in the penthouse were dimmed and only the chandeliers cast off a romantic atmosphere around them.

Soft classical music played in the background once she arrived and Horatio's voice rang to greet her. The two robot servants strolled as the digital butler welcomed Elise home.

The robots looked particularly dressed up.

"Welcome back home, Miss Elise. Shall we take your coat for you?" Horatio asked Elise. One robot reached out his hand like a professional butler to ask Elise's coat.

Elise batted her eyes and looked at the robots. Then, she looked up and asked Horatio. "What's the occasion?"

"Our Christmas dinner." Loriel stepped into the living room and gave Elise a gentle smile. He always wore clean and well-pressed suits, but this time, he looked even better than when they attended the Christmas gala together. "I wanted to make our first Christmas together special."

"You shouldn't have..." Elise was startled by his appearance and the effort done all over the penthouse. Loriel truly did so much for her, that she felt as if her gift wasn't enough.

"But I wanted to," Loriel said with a smile. "I hope you like it."

Elise snapped out of her reverie and strolled up to him. "I do, I really do. This place looks amazing."

Loriel smiled. "That's a relief."

If it weren't for the fact that Elise wanted to surprise him, she wouldn't have left at all. Elise looked up to him and offered the box to him.

"U-uh, I well… speaking of which, Merry Christmas, Loriel. I have this for you, I wasn't sure of what to get you, so I decided to bake you this cake instead."

Loriel accepted the cake with a beaming face. So, he guessed right! Elise did prepare a surprise for him. She baked a cake for their Christmas dinner.

However, even though he already guessed that Elise wanted to gift him something, Loriel still pretended to look surprised. He complimented himself for his talent in acting.

"Oh… when did you make this?" He checked the cake and gushed happily. "It looks so nice!"

"Uhmm… I made it today when I went to the bakery. That's why I said you didn't need to stay with me there. I don't want to ruin the surprise," Elise replied.

"Why, thank you!" Loriel kissed her right cheek to show how much he appreciated the cake. "It'll be perfect for dessert. You made the perfect cake. It's quite a good combination."

Elise immediately smiled at his words. He always knew how to make her feel happy and at ease. "I'm not sure. I should have thought about what if you already made desserts?"

Loriel shook his head and accepted her present. "I think I like your cake more, it's your forte. I'm excited to try this cake with you, Elise. How would you like to have dinner now?"

"Of course, I'm starving." Elise laughed.