"What the hell was that?"24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4tc0K817G
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73DwkKhXF8
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrC7jJKqEW9
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFEjFgUuFy
Ayub sighed. "What was what?"24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnXQINddtD
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENi8wPUKev
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."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCm0hjEu0Kh
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCom1x9J26m
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eZD7omr93
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHJibc3amX
"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."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCLRIOywx9
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaYDYVWD8K
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosHzembiRA
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgA1xr8CHoo
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNecKEdmvr
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JjOvpQ9mr
"Trust me, I know."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfuLKlzkGK
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdmuU3oKIW
"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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9Q988F6Yt
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9NspjmJUD
Ayub gave him a flat look.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGd86b6kVrl
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcx0BHItfh
"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2IY9I8alK
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHmqP7hqdQ
"She’s nice. Not for me."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRBvkoAqSE
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieWys3J4Zg
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaQfgltXuR
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bSG6FX9uZ
Ayub said nothing.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUIgLEL8u4
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPjtpAM6H5
The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7TlOjqBWh
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAxfqL6DmA
Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxoFsoj66E
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWIYQjl2sS
"What?"24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0J1cQlMMy
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhz2kIFdWQv
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgXhDE2UqZ
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNs8q8mwZkA
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXHZhgQIec
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwM2IAG22bf
He didn’t answer.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡletW3lAowD
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOO5UxufEB
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHecrWDYYji
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocbOf4Q5zv
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqkw6Vnyfx
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQY8Z3iPKN
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. 24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunWf4hS56x
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzncjF0uvL
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡef8DnJXd1j
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgbuvX3fmQ
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegSOiJQ8CG
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qPNAA3QR9
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwRYljoyM4
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDyicxaSJ1
"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?"24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTwq35lqTo
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpooCxYcEQe
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVk4UFnCWc
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWLofm2Yx7
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOeBdvjECf
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvTm4SEesn
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfaBPvuCSP
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkr26RnUKFk
Ayub hesitated, glancing toward the building. "You sure? Talha looks one bad day away from a lawsuit half the time. He’s intense."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTyg5T6X8W
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qwUUdNy93
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMlsO2qyQX
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xvnqdffPn
It didn’t look like much.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTYUsQHz41
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdyhySg5c1
But it would.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbKBlK1NHp
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQubcdlXLoF
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTRaW49Wou
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mT8nePwyt
The caller ID lit up.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxs0krxzDK
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrw77GumKQI
Adil.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1qsdTuHcU
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQWY6doJvN
Both men groaned in unison.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dsF2lZPEF
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88Z4GAqlQk
"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYm5xnajKqF
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpK3U1H3R8q
Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdVNP5O419
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCZT0Urzsq
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxaq4AALeZF
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HjWQPXCT9
Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILRkEEgdSi
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Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkn5l2EueB
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfo89fZ4vhl
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. 24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouulZzHnC9
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Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9Hw6plrVQ
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She wasn’t interested.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwgCKkkCZB
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xLEizlyDh
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3FhOQ49gl
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He jabbed the speaker icon.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8kF1650zk
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicFrG4CDi2
“Adil,” he said, voice flat.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpDKvx2xd7
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1bO3LQgwq
“Imran!” Adil’s voice poured through the car, smooth and smug as ever. “Still hiding from society in dusty construction zones?”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLx5Oc2AiVt
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbScMk63bAM
Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANkfw59KyW
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbKTSsp3fl
“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.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVPQ2J8624
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnEsUVDFBu
Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOOOU6beFh
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwe6I5crSo
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.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWZqra0HSm
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡol9XoXshg3
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.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6173BBppn
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIFnvokgVC
There was a pause on the line.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1G0TSbQJsZ
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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.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKj4N7kwAM7
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJ95ExZwNh
Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwneqN1Z8g
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmxtlx03cb
“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmmEyA0O2R
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7C0NtKTlx
The call ended.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaA44aBUT2
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Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeArINitYqU
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Neither of them spoke for a while.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aKC7wcG88
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TRWPef2Jb
Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadQmS2Ayg3
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAk19Wqloxm
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?"24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViBLQaqslV
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfXsCPR4M2
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtizfRuLckN
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsU1OiJXwS
Ayub sighed. "What was what?"24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RUZa0gaZM
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTveGXF05oi
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."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkW8obuH9J
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4h7FjCW9m
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvjZP44QeR
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVC08UpYpT
"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."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFmGjAGHBh
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgRGbCDGpV
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0AKzqKTPA
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3i5abj2Yv
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pT0fJEjDv
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwELVj5A814
"Trust me, I know."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXP1hSJF4EZ
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJ7vS7kW4r
"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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTKCRg5PnA
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoW3hkfy4Q
Ayub gave him a flat look.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehEatO0Myk
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrY5g8SjgB
"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHX28vA1ZS
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfztSwFUn7p
"She’s nice. Not for me."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IJaLhFcmc
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7pUriNx6X
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk65jWgkAp6
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKXFzd1gUV
Ayub said nothing.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDne6vi78o
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNY9r2KTxc
The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7c2VgGvU2G
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2wntDZthK
Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhJpsxHJi6
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoREfnKX5j
"What?"24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbDFDfArbD
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCk5KtY1c9w
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2fdbMUlns
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiEFzjmNQY
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gE2elHcYk
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrXH43vT01
He didn’t answer.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEtolbJvcP
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV28luwqzOm
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPE4T3fQVfR
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84UmNz4XAQ
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6wUeGtwK2
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCgmcP4Zk4
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. 24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0X5Ms6qcc
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGC0QbhOrQ4
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdVaazBCvbI
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rndlGHYpb
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1x2dBT6kty
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdev6lfhzf4
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaWID31E5c
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP05G7uPVRi
"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?"24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUBQyTfhBW
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GGYHnLuM9
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2EjHSaTIf
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8EdG0JqJ4
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeVWR58CKP
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmwRrYBDmH
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYc0zde6LU6
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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."24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVGifZilVx
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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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0IKiafmPN
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It didn’t look like much.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4104iCuNkL
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But it would.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafqDNePhNp
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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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQiQSfYbNz
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The caller ID lit up.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwz2re4neD
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Adil.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5B0VXNXybZ
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Both men groaned in unison.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PAIlxHtOJ
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"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntj3SEaTKS
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Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQollCUyPu
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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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSHALmDtpU
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Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4gH8Dk6ZK
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Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzY3NrVXgLd
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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. 24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBq2pXZ19f
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Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHhLnI7zRV
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She wasn’t interested.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLcw6wuC31
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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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLL5AnQTLa1
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He jabbed the speaker icon.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNMrkt6VWQ
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“Adil,” he said, voice flat.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQoEETgOOV
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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?”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPp5tuyiPNb
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Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Dmg0cFf5w
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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.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGo0k8c90kr
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Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBXUgQQNOy
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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.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYzTPecLmq
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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.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8tUNNfZdu
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There was a pause on the line.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKIv7LPzwj
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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.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eedEgE7xt
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Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfGQUitl9N
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“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZu069uWNa
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The call ended.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZ5uNuUVTj
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Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5xa4V03Jq
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Neither of them spoke for a while.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5tBXgzyWb
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Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWL8fSTUnaE
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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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