Page 128 of The Umarova Crime Family

I could’ve sold my condo in Cancun, but I haven’t yet. I don’t know if Eset will ever want to go to Mexico for a vacation, but I do hope one day we can do that. I want her to see my home country and the beautiful culture I come from.

“Eset, are you ready to go?” I call up the stairwell to my wife as our daughter is in her stroller in front of me.

“I’m almost ready!” Eset calls down the stairs, and I’m caught shaking my head. I told her ten minutes ago we have to get going, but instead of finishing up, I’m sure she changed her mind and is re-doing something or has changed into something else.

“That’s what you said ten minutes ago!” I call back up, and Meryem begins to giggle. She has impeccable timing. “I know, it’s hysterical, right?” I say as I kneel down in front of her stroller. Meryem begins to laugh harder and smiles so brightly.

Finally, my wife’s heels begin clacking against the stairs as she’s finally coming down. “Why are you rushing me so much?” Eset questions, narrowing her brows at me.

“Because we have somewhere to be, so come on, let’s get going,” I say, rising back to my feet.

“Hello, sweet angel,” Eset says to Meryem, running her fingertips against our daughter’s beautiful icy white locks. Meryem smiles big at Eset, and I revel in the connection these two are forming. It’s only been a few days, but Meryem is already so bonded to Eset and me. When Eset doesn’t have her, I do, and I really don’t know if Meryem ever had a loving connection with anyone before us.

Eset comes to my side, and we head out the front door, where two of our men are already posted by my SUV. I already started the process of getting my car shipped out here to Grozny since this is where I’ll be living full time, though I will not be driving Meryem around in that. I’ve settled on a Range Rover simply because of its safety ratings.

“Paolo, Gabriel,” I say, greeting the two men on my family’s team.

“Sir,” they both say at the same time.

Both Paolo and Gabriel know where we’re going, so I help Eset get Meryem in the car. Then, once she’s settled in, I make sure Eset is in the vehicle before I break down the stroller and put it in the back of the Range Rover. I get in last, sitting on the other side of our daughter.

It doesn’t take long before we’re at the building, and Eset furrows her brows. “Are we seeing Amelia and Ruslan?”

I turn my head to the left and look at her. “Maybe. Who knows?”

“Well, you know. You’re just choosing not to tell me anything,” Eset grumbles, and I get a kick out of her frustration. Most of the time, she’s the one who’s being hush-hush on what she’s thinking, but I want her to thoroughly enjoy this surprise.

While Paolo parks the car on the street, Gabriel gets out of the vehicle and opens the door for me. I get out first, grab the stroller from the back and open it back up. Eset helps me get the car seat part of Meryem’s stroller out, and once it’s unhooked, I pull her out, then latch it into the stroller. I never thought parenting would be so easy, but it’s blowing my mind these days, especially with how much there is to know.

Eset then gets out, and we begin walking up to the building with Gabriel in step alongside us. I notice he’s very aware of his surroundings, looking for any sort of threat there could possibly be.

We enter the building and walk past the concierge, who knows the Umarova family quite well, before heading for the elevators. Once we’re all inside, I push the button for the floor our condo is on, and Eset looks at me cautiously. “That’s not where Ruslan and Amelia live,” she reminds me.

“No, it isn’t,” I confirm with a smirk, and once the elevator doors open, we head onto the floor. We continue down the hallway until we’re at our unit, number sixteen-ninety-five. I dig into my pocket and hand Eset a key. She looks at the key in her hand, and instead of asking me more questions, she slides it into the door and then turns the lock. We proceed to walk inside, and Gabriel stands guard on the other side of the front door.

“Santos,” Eset’s tone comes out in a warning as she begins walking through the place, but this condo isn’t the only surprise I have for her. I have so many, and she’s going to have her mind blown when she sees everything.

“Go down the hall, and open the door all the way on the left,” I urge her, and she does as I say while I push Meryem’s stroller.

Eset opens the door and gasps from pure shock. “How did you… when did you do all of this?” she asks as she turns around to face me. I’ve just reached the doorway, and she’s in awe of her art studio—all the canvases, the organizational system I had installed for her paints, and so much more.

“I’ve had some time to think over the last few days, and Amelia and Emily have helped me bring everything to fruition… but I have one more massive surprise for you. Go over to your work desk and open the drawer.” This is the one thing I think Eset is going to be through the roof about.

She goes over to her work desk and opens the drawer, pulling out a manila folder. She opens the folder up and pulls out a thick stack of paperwork. I watch her facial expression as she reads what I’ve done. She’s never said this to me, but I know her dream is her art. She’s only so heavily involved in her family’s crime business because that’s the only option, and I’m not saying she can’t do both by any means. What I’m suggesting is that she fulfill both her dream and her obligation.

“You bought an art gallery for me in London?” Eset tears her eyes away from the paperwork.

“Yes, and there’s a café attached which brings in a good amount of business. You’re going to have your own designated space for your art, and then you can have three or four guest artists if you’d like. That’s what the previous owner has done through the years, but it’s yours now, so you can do whatever you’d like.”

“Santos, I… I don’t know what in the world I’m supposed to say to this. I’m… I’m rendered speechless, honestly.”

I figured she’d be shocked by what I’d done.

“Just tell me this, does it make you happy?”

“Yes, of course. It blows my mind. Thank you so much. This is the best gift anyone could’ve ever given me,” Eset mutters, covering her mouth with her hand. She’s fighting back the tears, and it’s obvious to me. I push Meryem’s stroller into her mother’s home studio and walk up to my wife. Snaking my arms around her waist, I pull her flush against me.

“I hope you know there’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for you.”

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