"What the hell was that?"58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPeYrgKgHK6
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLyEZyVWFi
Imran didn’t wait until they were out of the building. The door had barely clicked shut before he tossed the question like a grenade between them.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOsFmcC8VV
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFydtybkixB
Ayub sighed. "What was what?"58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhT4SOym1kf
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEFgg7zFNc
Imran turned on his heel to face him, grinning like the proud older brother of a man who had just learned how to throw a punch. "That line. That delivery. That tone. You know exactly what."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQH0oYQO1W
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Y0SkQVJYL
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6krSnYFu8
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ983Z21X0UY
"Responded? That wasn’t a response. That was flirting, and not even the accidental kind. You actually had bass in your voice, bro. I almost blushed."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QByXcsGR4
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXezbvT1Yr
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYIFkivTIP
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLH6xz3X30S
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkITg9iAW6X
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvwBSoFO4I
"Trust me, I know."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pGKITdISu
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYfdJvrtuE
"Jasmina's been glowing all day, by the way. Like she just got nominated for an award. 'I get to work with Lamija's Ayub,'" Imran mimicked in a pitch-perfect impression.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dmeoDJODG
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEc4FYHzC3
Ayub gave him a flat look.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDENUz4jwPF
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dq0pc7dCZ
"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMh93XkQ8s
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfVtOPufD9
"She’s nice. Not for me."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSgrw37MT8
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHFccC31qg
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMivapwwYv
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudM6VE6dKU
Ayub said nothing.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHHar80bAn
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6J4lsw1uT
The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7Z1sT5TKM
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Q90nez8Ud
Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpbbwtnGMo
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JPrvd648N
"What?"58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBJ1OD0gLF
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRNnllFXrR
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS29x1K3d5q
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3V513PYild
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JfgxnGyuh
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tNw9c8xLw
He didn’t answer.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4RLVZ5YYY
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UGXEWpVeS
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHibpRuH7jf
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5eVlBCoAj
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnfH76P4y5
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUa1YvO4Yc
They drove in mostly silence until Imran turned down a narrow street. He had told Lamija they were checking out the property on Marindvor. This was not it. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMf53lPlsek
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfyFF528IM
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94VZIsrtRW
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6QdUvZfJr
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9lBhwuZ1T
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1y59F4rkFF
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnoyYExQ9C
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTv0mpH1h7
"This one’s different. I want to open a gym. Full training setup. MMA, strength, discipline. Talha will run it.”
Ayub turned to him, startled. "Talha?"58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfDxPnP4Ax
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLs6AEmeHUJ
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1gESfFbZX
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Uj3TDiiCs
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIj1Fow8IJI
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPjwnJq1qj
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ790SYOaiJI
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19T72GzR5c
Ayub hesitated, glancing toward the building. "You sure? Talha looks one bad day away from a lawsuit half the time. He’s intense."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfqL9DTSRN
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpfbzbtVYW
Imran shrugged. "So are most people with greatness in them. He needs direction. And he needs to know we believe he can lead, not just fight."
They stepped out of the car and stood in front of the building—tall windows covered in dust, scaffolding still clinging to one side. From the outside it didn’t look like much yet.
But inside?
Inside, it had bones.
High ceilings. Reinforced walls. The echo of potential.
They moved through slowly, dodging ladders, exposed wires, and half-unwrapped fixtures. Imran rattled off specs—bag layout, ventilation, locker spacing—but Ayub barely heard him. He was already seeing it. The mats. The sweat. The chaos with rules. He could picture Talha in the middle of it all—loud, focused, alive in a way he rarely was outside a ring.
"This could be good for him," Ayub said. "The kind of good he doesn’t think he deserves."
Imran just nodded.
Ayub kept walking.
And the more he saw, the harder it was to ignore the weight sitting in his chest.
Because this wasn’t just a gym.
This was a gift.
Not the flashy kind. Not for show. This was the kind of thing you gave to people you considered your own. Something that said, You belong here, even if you don’t believe it yet.
Ayub glanced back at Imran—at the way he moved through the site like he was laying down pieces of a future that already had space for all of them in it.
No fanfare. No speeches. Just action.
That’s what the Begovićs did. They didn’t hand you pity. They handed you responsibility. Ownership. Purpose. And somehow, they made you feel like it had always been yours.
Ayub looked around again, jaw tight.
This family—Imran, his father, even Lamija—they spent their wealth like it was a shared resource. Like it belonged to all of them. Not just blood, but anyone who stayed long enough to earn a place.
They took him in when his own family left him on a doorstep.
Now Imran was building Talha a gym.
He didn’t say thank you. Not out loud.
He just stood there, letting it sink in.
This was what legacy looked like.
Not power. Not reputation.
Just people investing in each other like they meant it.
"You ever going to admit how far gone you are?" Imran asked, not even bothering to look up from his clipboard.
Ayub shot him a look. “I told you—I’m not letting her mess with me anymore.”
Imran grinned. “Look at you. Boundaries. Words. Growth. Ayub 2.0.”
Ayub snorted. “She pushed. I pushed back. That’s all it was.”
Imran didn’t push it. Just raised an eyebrow and went back to checking off specs.
Then Ayub asked, almost offhand, “You still chasing Selma?”
Imran looked up, unfazed. “I wouldn’t call it chasing.”
Ayub scoffed. “She pushes you away like it’s her job, and you just keep showing up like it’s yours.”
Imran smirked. “We’re persistent. Not reckless.”
Ayub raised a brow. “You Begovićs don’t know when to back off. It’s admirable. And deeply concerning.”
Imran laughed, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “She’s different.”
“I know.”
“She keeps me at a distance like I’m a grenade with the pin halfway out.",” Imran said, quieter now. “And I get it. She’s been through hell.”
Ayub nodded. She had a look in her eyes that he often saw in himself and Talha. Like she was always bracing for something to fall apart. "Someone like you would be good for her," Ayub said aloud before he could stop himself.
Imran was silent for a second, then said, “I just want her to let me love her. Her and Sanel—both of them. That’s all.”
Ayub didn’t respond right away.
Then, quietly: “You’d be good for her.”
Imran didn’t react. He just held his clipboard a little tighter.
And Ayub didn’t say anything else.
Because some things didn’t need to be unpacked in the middle of a construction site.
Some things just needed to be said once—and meant.
They walked the rest of the site in silence. When they stepped back out into the sun, Ayub glanced once more over his shoulder at the building.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZMLMzcDtJ
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2nvOnJ3DH
It didn’t look like much.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxPQJ1cLrN
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryOsUpNX6s
But it would.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1NhQOdOMW
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDR3MpbRHzx
They climbed into the car, the doors closing with a thud. Imran tapped the ignition. Just as the engine came to life, so did the screen.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6ZjwNpf2j
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzES2ItE4Mt
The caller ID lit up.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIux62EA42
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6lFhbLyrb
Adil.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSD4dTClJOk
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAd5mYa5dzz
Both men groaned in unison.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDH7oIaJoVo
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOgKVXthqd
"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ykLfyPzBG
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBizsX8sqiI
Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RH9tp9fro
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUkVwZPlOA
Adil’s older brother—Nedim—had been circling Lamija like a vulture for months. It was never about romance. Never about her. It was strategy. A merger dressed in gold cufflinks and tailored suits.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddgp5ScmWp
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsD86HS1Wai
Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2b3Di3HSZl
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQBMqAUi5m
Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlSf09Fr8j
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2bC1zUeEg
Husine had built the company with ruthless precision, but when it came to his daughters? They were never pawns. They were the jewels in his crown. And Imran lived to protect those jewels. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45xIKSopmr
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWR9wGKniLg
Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVaM197OOJ
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo31W3rJwup
She wasn’t interested.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvP9T9OdRRN
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyj3vi7pAW
And if she ever did lose her senses and gave that bastard a chance, Imran would burn the whole board before he let her become someone’s strategic win.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvVJhY6uN1
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmfLRUaY61
He jabbed the speaker icon.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDbPiaBALX
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF78R4xK03V
“Adil,” he said, voice flat.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1dFIwRU1y
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GalNQ2lr3
“Imran!” Adil’s voice poured through the car, smooth and smug as ever. “Still hiding from society in dusty construction zones?”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWH1aK7UiB
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuHxR9tFcI
Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWDRhhCOEG
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“Listen,” Adil continued, “I need a favor. Nedim saw that Lamija’s been eyeing the new Solène bag—you know, the crazy limited drop, three per country. He wants to get it for her.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5fqgeXiOg
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEc6vzvN7F
Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBL0Eobuos
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tJRrw0bLH
Adil laughed. “Of course you did. Always a step ahead. Then maybe give it to Amina instead? Let Nedim take care of Lamija. It might open a door.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FNzDnzxdv
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqH6aIwcVwp
Imran’s voice dropped into ice. “As long as I breathe, Lamija and Amina will be taken care of. Tell Nedim to back off. She’s off limits.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkigVvkf5v
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8lY6gyo9C
There was a pause on the line.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbaXszTqOf
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“I’m serious, Adil,” Imran continued. “It will never happen. My father would burn your company to the ground before he marries her off like cattle. And I’ll burn everything your family has ever built down just for the fucking fun of it.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinFsLyROHI
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wVCzUzMhJ
Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNKW3uk60i
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNCXTEyuXa
“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5QOt8IkSu
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayv6NaRf6z
The call ended.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnr7gHc66d
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYsnR9mkPX
Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tscptq4De
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxF5ZqaMPg
Neither of them spoke for a while.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi11zIOnnhj
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtlO0SyY3s
Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pY6n4StuU
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFL1yyWhVg
Imran’s fists flexed on the wheel. “Same.”
Ayub watched him in silence. There was nothing to say—because he knew if it ever came down to it, Imran would burn it all.
That was the difference.
Men like Imran protected from the front.
Men like Ayub watched from the edge, unsure if they were even allowed to step into the fight.
And for the first time all day, Ayub wasn’t just angry.
He was reminded.
That no matter how steady he stood, no matter how much he gave, a woman like Lamija might never see him as more than a shadow behind her father’s throne.
"What the hell was that?"58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMt22fPWgQ
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8JT3UDCBp
Imran didn’t wait until they were out of the building. The door had barely clicked shut before he tossed the question like a grenade between them.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sok6PTULn
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9dy5DphI7
Ayub sighed. "What was what?"58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1tWEMd9VL
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB61yDXDXZE
Imran turned on his heel to face him, grinning like the proud older brother of a man who had just learned how to throw a punch. "That line. That delivery. That tone. You know exactly what."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnu8077r045
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡml69jqIjLY
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcfRuHnG1f
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuUeHgQ7xl
"Responded? That wasn’t a response. That was flirting, and not even the accidental kind. You actually had bass in your voice, bro. I almost blushed."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZUEMeug2i
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1s4ugHT8o
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIiKU5YLllo
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ72bovjSa8
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcU4M4v96MA
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSMf5PpvBf
"Trust me, I know."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunZame0fhz
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QgJozifsY
"Jasmina's been glowing all day, by the way. Like she just got nominated for an award. 'I get to work with Lamija's Ayub,'" Imran mimicked in a pitch-perfect impression.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRdwVLtJKf
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpSodN8wa3
Ayub gave him a flat look.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39852FrvQV
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBXKYU0map
"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5O5rWpEMtR
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtdes5CuoE
"She’s nice. Not for me."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWz9uiEtj3
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7cKHpwIFn
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsamUfnTm3
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31VNCpCVe4
Ayub said nothing.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RcvlvILLe
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5AmUDibgx
The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeufrJ0wtz
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigYaPeXNBm
Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebfBHHSzZm
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIoVZpaZIa
"What?"58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3mOc1KFu1
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrHIM9CVqk
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBu93iBwFb6
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIanTdCGPLj
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQF5ruuX7dd
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSe40y1Rdn
He didn’t answer.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QGRgQgwfa
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IqjZDjUi3
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32kHuclRLE
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuBjHtSdFJ
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHNVBztULF
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqKjziybJd
They drove in mostly silence until Imran turned down a narrow street. He had told Lamija they were checking out the property on Marindvor. This was not it. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6m3EoZfYd
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EyR8DtQX1
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8t5OIgVAJ5
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOOwWTRHmR
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeraHBYExs7
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnib9Gcbwd
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLk1xr9iyUt
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcegxjILzo
"This one’s different. I want to open a gym. Full training setup. MMA, strength, discipline. Talha will run it.”
Ayub turned to him, startled. "Talha?"58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoK21B1Aql
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4jr1TDVi5
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdp7E7VApFJ
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWo5l3k1B7
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHyIowsjPBu
58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmgyFAoXN6
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVssBjVGQg
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Ayub hesitated, glancing toward the building. "You sure? Talha looks one bad day away from a lawsuit half the time. He’s intense."58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsVpWPzoJW
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Imran shrugged. "So are most people with greatness in them. He needs direction. And he needs to know we believe he can lead, not just fight."
They stepped out of the car and stood in front of the building—tall windows covered in dust, scaffolding still clinging to one side. From the outside it didn’t look like much yet.
But inside?
Inside, it had bones.
High ceilings. Reinforced walls. The echo of potential.
They moved through slowly, dodging ladders, exposed wires, and half-unwrapped fixtures. Imran rattled off specs—bag layout, ventilation, locker spacing—but Ayub barely heard him. He was already seeing it. The mats. The sweat. The chaos with rules. He could picture Talha in the middle of it all—loud, focused, alive in a way he rarely was outside a ring.
"This could be good for him," Ayub said. "The kind of good he doesn’t think he deserves."
Imran just nodded.
Ayub kept walking.
And the more he saw, the harder it was to ignore the weight sitting in his chest.
Because this wasn’t just a gym.
This was a gift.
Not the flashy kind. Not for show. This was the kind of thing you gave to people you considered your own. Something that said, You belong here, even if you don’t believe it yet.
Ayub glanced back at Imran—at the way he moved through the site like he was laying down pieces of a future that already had space for all of them in it.
No fanfare. No speeches. Just action.
That’s what the Begovićs did. They didn’t hand you pity. They handed you responsibility. Ownership. Purpose. And somehow, they made you feel like it had always been yours.
Ayub looked around again, jaw tight.
This family—Imran, his father, even Lamija—they spent their wealth like it was a shared resource. Like it belonged to all of them. Not just blood, but anyone who stayed long enough to earn a place.
They took him in when his own family left him on a doorstep.
Now Imran was building Talha a gym.
He didn’t say thank you. Not out loud.
He just stood there, letting it sink in.
This was what legacy looked like.
Not power. Not reputation.
Just people investing in each other like they meant it.
"You ever going to admit how far gone you are?" Imran asked, not even bothering to look up from his clipboard.
Ayub shot him a look. “I told you—I’m not letting her mess with me anymore.”
Imran grinned. “Look at you. Boundaries. Words. Growth. Ayub 2.0.”
Ayub snorted. “She pushed. I pushed back. That’s all it was.”
Imran didn’t push it. Just raised an eyebrow and went back to checking off specs.
Then Ayub asked, almost offhand, “You still chasing Selma?”
Imran looked up, unfazed. “I wouldn’t call it chasing.”
Ayub scoffed. “She pushes you away like it’s her job, and you just keep showing up like it’s yours.”
Imran smirked. “We’re persistent. Not reckless.”
Ayub raised a brow. “You Begovićs don’t know when to back off. It’s admirable. And deeply concerning.”
Imran laughed, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “She’s different.”
“I know.”
“She keeps me at a distance like I’m a grenade with the pin halfway out.",” Imran said, quieter now. “And I get it. She’s been through hell.”
Ayub nodded. She had a look in her eyes that he often saw in himself and Talha. Like she was always bracing for something to fall apart. "Someone like you would be good for her," Ayub said aloud before he could stop himself.
Imran was silent for a second, then said, “I just want her to let me love her. Her and Sanel—both of them. That’s all.”
Ayub didn’t respond right away.
Then, quietly: “You’d be good for her.”
Imran didn’t react. He just held his clipboard a little tighter.
And Ayub didn’t say anything else.
Because some things didn’t need to be unpacked in the middle of a construction site.
Some things just needed to be said once—and meant.
They walked the rest of the site in silence. When they stepped back out into the sun, Ayub glanced once more over his shoulder at the building.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ECie6D3JE
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It didn’t look like much.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdYvPTfIbf
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But it would.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwz9UerEqzs
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They climbed into the car, the doors closing with a thud. Imran tapped the ignition. Just as the engine came to life, so did the screen.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUM32BvCoY
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The caller ID lit up.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryAh6IKazv
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Adil.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluDuknBsML
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Both men groaned in unison.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrTYXVpzB1
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"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BMleU64va
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Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡca57MLBtHd
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Adil’s older brother—Nedim—had been circling Lamija like a vulture for months. It was never about romance. Never about her. It was strategy. A merger dressed in gold cufflinks and tailored suits.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCC7ZOVw7de
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Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7yjU6oVez
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Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Xml1ZcCiu
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Husine had built the company with ruthless precision, but when it came to his daughters? They were never pawns. They were the jewels in his crown. And Imran lived to protect those jewels. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZ6eKfYA8o
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Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMyZsa89tD
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She wasn’t interested.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1m0WupO3Xo
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And if she ever did lose her senses and gave that bastard a chance, Imran would burn the whole board before he let her become someone’s strategic win.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2LPwJgYZP
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He jabbed the speaker icon.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJBTOgDW8X
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“Adil,” he said, voice flat.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFK5qmTFtj
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“Imran!” Adil’s voice poured through the car, smooth and smug as ever. “Still hiding from society in dusty construction zones?”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6EKD4YPZe
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Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs223pZRDDF
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“Listen,” Adil continued, “I need a favor. Nedim saw that Lamija’s been eyeing the new Solène bag—you know, the crazy limited drop, three per country. He wants to get it for her.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iEF2vjJSo
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Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qAHUsZqHm
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Adil laughed. “Of course you did. Always a step ahead. Then maybe give it to Amina instead? Let Nedim take care of Lamija. It might open a door.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxtiAVFbuI
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Imran’s voice dropped into ice. “As long as I breathe, Lamija and Amina will be taken care of. Tell Nedim to back off. She’s off limits.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgivNSWIpO
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There was a pause on the line.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbx9sIp6EI
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“I’m serious, Adil,” Imran continued. “It will never happen. My father would burn your company to the ground before he marries her off like cattle. And I’ll burn everything your family has ever built down just for the fucking fun of it.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUiJLdFjPV
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Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1h02BfW8kk
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“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkesVYbZ3A
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The call ended.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QhaIcPyPW
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Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6an4Sm1Ml5
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Neither of them spoke for a while.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkV5muUvey
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Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMq3P5YHWNS
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Imran’s fists flexed on the wheel. “Same.”
Ayub watched him in silence. There was nothing to say—because he knew if it ever came down to it, Imran would burn it all.
That was the difference.
Men like Imran protected from the front.
Men like Ayub watched from the edge, unsure if they were even allowed to step into the fight.
And for the first time all day, Ayub wasn’t just angry.
He was reminded.
That no matter how steady he stood, no matter how much he gave, a woman like Lamija might never see him as more than a shadow behind her father’s throne.
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