"What the hell was that?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3Fk0uQvdW
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRABJKmPbDF
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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQ3BJwJKpk
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDi6pvX3cy
Ayub sighed. "What was what?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByGGiaFPiX
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRdPlJVkcc
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."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7f4tGFjQ9F
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeqiaHorpH
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5c3ADj4G1
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjlTwLv6M4
"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."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmwZvLTkNy
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9dZbvo8lJ
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMampRQreeY
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuMANrK3GO
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OXwjfR2tF
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYqx4t953l
"Trust me, I know."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMGEC9ISgR
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwRtV65mWa
"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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYuySWMj0Z
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxCyUocrDb
Ayub gave him a flat look.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZo565Jfeu
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveKYj36iIB
"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0Pplsi58P
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hN2rbazCl
"She’s nice. Not for me."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCI0Iq6Tkg
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gjJOqphhD
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpsM3uueDr
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡld5H4BGSCr
Ayub said nothing.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcyuL46pke
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The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTMGrN4VJW
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ew6HjHTj7
Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrwh3pC8jC
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtK6WsSJKuP
"What?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgNJYTvboG
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4oJW8on5T
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ672wiJ50bj
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIvk0TKIpD
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaUX7gfBKK
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2XjAnjmu3
He didn’t answer.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGRoNYMzwv
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGMNtit7Aq
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OYbZQHO0R
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡds21ycsRlN
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmi1Qc3OpNg
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyeWmfctXgn
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. 116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivV6iSB7pP
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrzGIXeUTL
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeHjJHkcRh
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75mA5Xv5aZ
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzpJgGBT0x
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlkemZboMQ
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1mHYKsdgB
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnp25Y9200I
"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?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWeY7w3gwq
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2bZW4qnCp
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xlnlILbd8
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6QsfWT7VK
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNF3aPm770d
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27iEGLFTwN
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8e2foUr6v
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5x6RrkbZU
Ayub hesitated, glancing toward the building. "You sure? Talha looks one bad day away from a lawsuit half the time. He’s intense."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPyeubZGOn
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTT3Nf6LrE
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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIKT7qGyd3
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDvKmgYxeN
It didn’t look like much.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iRotSvK5E
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTIoUIlEJ9
But it would.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvM9mZO0cW
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcA0fGil1p
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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYskQYum7Y
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyH5rYyNurp
The caller ID lit up.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ498aZYdfRx
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPROtvoEw2
Adil.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvg0YjJ2q4
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoOU6qeHBS
Both men groaned in unison.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseI0poWYJz
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugeL7GJ7xd
"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxFl8pkrq9
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdusZ1YZgA5
Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zCFTaQYoh
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnV2XcQp5fp
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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgIG1YssSo
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhrWRA0Qfq
Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzz4CFwZCSo
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CQMf9P22O
Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGZpWM5Gz0
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTUsEvqnqo
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. 116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvuhf8sRvj
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdIGBB6u9c
Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2imbdfwgT
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She wasn’t interested.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJ6Nxhyar0
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI76B36fTP2
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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0IoOTVWPd
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNr2vgmu04
He jabbed the speaker icon.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnSEbMgu8u
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8iv8y7Og4
“Adil,” he said, voice flat.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XaK91qwY6
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8JIS186rS
“Imran!” Adil’s voice poured through the car, smooth and smug as ever. “Still hiding from society in dusty construction zones?”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLC2mRsyQ2G
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfNwsqPRxH
Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDH66rEZVM
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHSB5oWxVD
“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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85XE3YWWbE
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYGKZ3rOMr
Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGLyjKkt3V
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJfv0YsZPM
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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtRoNvedGN
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpgNIVsog9
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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sszqhU39z
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOBJu7CNLc
There was a pause on the line.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeC7RC6w1b
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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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTHwX53eFG
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxZVON4Lbe
Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx23Di2xmso
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhx62PbAAzX
“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwg8ZeuZUfQ
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmhDyHjmk1
The call ended.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYA9IngkaP
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovvqiijC8P
Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtCcpEB9vs
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxw5Z0epVjQ
Neither of them spoke for a while.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczN3LVV7sK
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsF8dmpOo9h
Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡST394Gxwlf
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPvSowGk6z
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?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlLKfYruya
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUrMOMknva
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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMCpmVvToR
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiUwa5hHYS
Ayub sighed. "What was what?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9G63kPiiK
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaz1l2g1Lrv
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."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfFShHTV99
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlZ2V3gPqi
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjzXvUTlFO
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJPw7PBxts
"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."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3LVOMSq2j
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrL1saNWiHA
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBl0VIvMxb
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZP0C7ZLKV
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDAkQcdjBs
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurywfEqnuK
"Trust me, I know."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZsvF6y7dX
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKTFGaEtEV
"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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gOS1dLzpv
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4qAl13Oat
Ayub gave him a flat look.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfqFYUCqV6
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbf2oheH0R5
"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuWncqhpJs
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKDKBQRjFi
"She’s nice. Not for me."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyg3KyEIKc3
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1zG1eH4fb
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1W8FNYRwR7
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFHsK193Up
Ayub said nothing.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cTODlCK4e
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lLx0vRsxV
The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflYMgTtQrC
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsZQlAOla9
Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxZfpfL0If
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK09uS0Q0Iq
"What?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPJHuUEzle
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp36E0g7RXq
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9psUoWNzww
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6YYKY805u
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21ZOZyFpvP
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsXUfNbrBE
He didn’t answer.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XfDNgwDbJ
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlBhXViMFM
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyw5oDMJfS
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxbzELi310
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24moLLbKz7
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHJsureJ11
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. 116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6h9yTKO0Ha
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyfTk4ppzY
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OZRpjoJ6p
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUnq8L5BiF
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfrsg62qn7
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TtA1ZduxL
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0fRHfh2BE
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUKAhny50X
"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?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDErgxcuaw
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5K7fKth5n
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFL6iMv9CuT
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9CxjvdXfR
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLQCiiZHYP
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AUCJN4Fyv
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWAAU7gKUe
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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."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6Tyy50EbC
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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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5YSkEaQyr
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It didn’t look like much.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt15NOnvRcd
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But it would.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6e1hvzcTX
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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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUrt2etVZp
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The caller ID lit up.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zuPwtSS3A
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Adil.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWyhWB9mj3
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Both men groaned in unison.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRHSVSF94j
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"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexBhqH5DVv
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Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVT73MwLM2x
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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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjXhaSrHPo
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Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEWG4R5R5h
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Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLg2gqmL1B
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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. 116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvm0sxUNTDg
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Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKKKsqptsc
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She wasn’t interested.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONKHsQtvdU
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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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1kupAvodv
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He jabbed the speaker icon.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8o2tbRfZJ0
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“Adil,” he said, voice flat.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxD6OPi1jT
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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?”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTyIOl9iT0
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Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gKcxw9WOA
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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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtQsV79d7e
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Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtyzztpD3S
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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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLbOLoGykl
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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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSfzy0eG7f
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There was a pause on the line.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRC79mNUdXK
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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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmigl5WgjN3
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Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0heDg6vOa
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“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfQ3iGxU7O
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The call ended.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVO6Mp5nxZ
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Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOI8SwFwV9k
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Neither of them spoke for a while.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8SFhSqnag
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Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9GAPGQKto
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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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