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“You can’t seriously be trying to tell me you’re a pawn in his game.”
“A valuable one, but I am. Are you not a pawn in your brother’s?” Santos raises his brows and waits for me to answer.
“If I was, he would’ve agreed to the marriage proposal on my behalf. But I’m sitting here with you, so you can see I have my own power.” I cock my head to the side for a second and take another sip of my drink.
Santos smirks, and his words have me wondering what we could accomplish together. “You and I… I know it was presented for your family’s support for my father, but I see another option here.”
“You see it as a way to get your freedom.” If Santos were to marry into my family, it would mean he’s loyal to us, not Julio.
“It would. We don’t have to dive into the deep anymore today. I’m going to be in London for a few days, and I know you are as well. There is something I wanted to ask you. I’m not sure if it’s simply rumors or not.”
“What would that be?” I ask while appreciating he’s giving me time to think about what he said.
“Have you really changed your surname to Umarova?”
I nod. “Yes, as has Nazyr. Ruslan has brought us into the fold, and we’re just as involved as Lom is.”
“Mmm, he values family above all else. I wish my father understood how to do that.”
I’m caught on Santos’ words, and the waitress comes up with the food we’ve ordered. This chat is going well, but I’m not going to hold my breath. The man could’ve been baiting me this entire time, but I’d like to think he isn’t.
Chapter Five
Santos
My first meeting with Eset went better than I expected. Not only did it go well, but I got a good feeling about what type of woman she was. Her wit blew me away completely. She wasn’t only witty, but she had incredible confidence, and that’s not something you see too often these days. Upon first meeting her, I have to say I had a good impression of her character.
Eset is the kind of woman who knows exactly what she wants, and while I don’t think it’s necessarily me, I do think she wants dedication, honesty, and information. Our marriage could give her that if she chooses to accept my proposal. She hasn’t given me an answer as of yet, and while I would like some sort of feedback by now, I’m not going to pressure her for an answer. I’ve been made very well aware that this is a decision Eset is making, not her brother, so pressuring her could ruin everything I’m looking to achieve.
Eset and I both agreed we’d meet at the National Gallery here in London. It’s a beautiful, sunny day, which isn’t too common here. This city looks so much different when the weather’s actually decent. The sky is a bright blue, not quite as bright as back home in Cancun, but still, it’s beautiful. Birds fly by chirping, heading into the trees, which I assume must house their nests. Waves of people walk by me, some who seem to be locals, and others who are obviously tourists since they have their phones out, snapping pictures and taking videos.
I’m currently standing in Trafalgar Square, and the National Gallery is only a few minutes walk away from here. Eset and I both know people have heard whispers about our potential marriage and our potential alliance with the other’s family. I have a strong feeling that there are people here watching every move I make, reporting back to her family or mine. It would make sense that my father would send someone here to keep an eye on me and report back, but it sickens me.
He has to know what I’m doing is only what he asked of me, minus me telling Eset his own interests aren’t my own. Hell, he could’ve even sent Lu here, but I’m unsure. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have because he knows how I feel about her. I’ve never kept my opinions of Lu to myself. Every now and again, I’ll make a comment about her because she does some fucked-up shit that could put everything he’s aiming to achieve in jeopardy. His goals aren’t my own, no, but it doesn’t mean I want my father to be with a woman who has no problem tearing him down.
The fact of the matter is, if Eset accepts my marriage proposal, it will be me and her against the world. My father’s aspirations won’t matter. My father’s cause won’t matter. The only thing that will matter is what Eset wants or what I want.
I glance over after hearing a loud bit of laughter and see an older couple sitting on the edge of one of the fountains. They’re both smiling and seem to be joking with each other. The man wraps an arm around his wife, and she presses a kiss on his cheek. They have to be in their mid-sixties, with all white hair except for a couple gray strands that peek out. I want a love like that, something that lasts for years to come.
I look down at my watch and realize Eset is supposed to meet me at the museum in five minutes, so I leave Trafalgar Square and head over to the other side of it, where the National Gallery is. It’s only a couple of minutes until I’m at the National Gallery, and man, it’s busy. I guess it’s to be expected since we’re in one of the top tourist destinations in the world.
As I’m standing in front of the museum, I spot a woman with the deepest brown hair in a light pink dress with high heels. There’s a purse hanging over her right shoulder, and I narrow my brows, thinking it very well might be my date. Sure enough, she turns her head—likely looking for me, too—and I realize it is Eset.
As I walk toward her, I take in her entire ensemble. It has a deep V-neck plunge that shows off the little bit of cleavage that she has, and the V stops a couple of inches above her belly button. She has a gold bracelet hanging off her right wrist and a gold ring with an emerald stone on her left hand. She continues accessorizing the look with a dainty gold chain around her neck and gold studs in her ears. Her purse is a mixture of white and gold, while her high heels are black.
The dress has a high slit which is very sexy, and the fabric has been ruched together in the center, accentuating her dainty waist. Eset is a frail woman with not a lot of meat on her bones. Typically, I go for women with curves, and while Eset isn’t the usual woman I’d go for, she’s much different in other ways.
“You look…”
Eset cocks a brow, waiting for me to say something.
“Breathtaking.” It’s the best word I can come up with right now, and damn, is it accurate.
“Thank you. I tried to look presentable for our outing, especially since there’s bound to be someone here watching us.”
I smile at Eset’s words. She’s the kind of woman who never holds her tongue, and I think that’s one of the most attractive things about her. In the beginning, I thought this might not work out with me having an arranged marriage to her. I thought I might not be attracted to her or that I might not be interested in her in the slightest. There were numerous things that could go wrong, honestly, and I wasn’t blind to that fact. Though, it sure looks like we’re doing pretty damn good if you ask me. Our conversation isn’t forced, and we both find the other attractive. She might not know that I realized how she was staring at me the first day we met at the pub, but I did. She was pleased with how I looked, and it was written all over her face.
“Then we should go inside. We should be able to have a little bit of privacy. I think you’re going to enjoy what I have planned.” In fact, I know she’s going to enjoy it. After looking at her portfolio online, I know what types of artwork she enjoys, and if she doesn’t like this exhibition, I will be shocked.
