The house was dark when Imran stepped in, save for the dim kitchen light that always stayed on when someone was expected late. He loosened his tie as he moved through the quiet, his jacket already slung over his arm, the weight of the evening pressing into his shoulders like an old friend.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8plV0VRfRz
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He had barely walked through the door after the site visit with Ayub when his father called him in to review a stack of new contract proposals. What should have taken an hour turned into four.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9os8BmLzbA
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Now, it was well past midnight. His stomach growled.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNklf7MU6bb
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He opened the fridge and groaned.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVJgNErB1E
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Half a serving of roasted potatoes. A spoonful of lamb. Maybe two zucchini slices if he was being generous.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFiwnoiGue
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“Really, Lamija?” he muttered. “You left me diplomatic scraps.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrTBaGbr6X
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He pulled out what little was left and made it work—microwaving the plate while grabbing a bottle of water. It wasn’t a meal. It was survival.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtrh9IyyFS
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As he ate standing at the counter, his thoughts drifted.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxEXd8X7l3
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Selma.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6GjbgyPOf
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She hadn’t said much in Lamija’s office that morning—just a polite nod and a quiet smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. That had been enough to make her cross his mind for the rest of the day.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrt64kWcMnc
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And now there was the matter of telling his mother.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFriSUezXft
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How did he explain that the woman he wanted was married one and already had a son? That he didn’t care—not even a little—but that he wasn’t sure how it would be received?33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRaU22GzAt
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He didn’t want permission.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw64Vw549px
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But he also didn’t want silence.
His mother loved Selma—but would that change if she knew Imran did too?33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4SzQ32lG1
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aRmAb3KgK
He finished his food and rinsed the plate, placing it gently in the dishwasher before grabbing a hoodie off the back of the chair. As he headed out of the kitchen, a sharp whinny sliced through the quiet.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXUvnPjhW3
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Caesar.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2yHJsxTPA
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The sound tugged at him—equal parts thunder and invitation.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡin8YOu3t7K
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He stepped back into the kitchen and outside onto the patio.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNorU4Owyq
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The air was cool and still, heavy with the scent of dew and pine. The night sky stretched endlessly above him, dark and glittering. The gravel crunched under his dress shoes as he walked the stone path to the stables.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8J4HCA3wJT
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In the ring, under the low golden wash of floodlights, Lamija and Caesar moved like they were born from the same force.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jqqGgh8qz
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She rode him with utter control—no fear, no hesitation. Her posture perfect. Her arms steady. Her face focused.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iKhMFKBOX
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Caesar was a storm wrapped in leather and muscle. His black coat glistened like oil beneath the lights, every motion rippling through him like a wave. His hooves struck the ground with purpose, and every leap over the training poles was clean and commanding.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ryWIb7cIZ
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They were a sight.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotouKTDF0o
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Imran leaned against the fence, arms crossed, the corners of his mouth tipping upward.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgHzAXHnpf
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“Would’ve been nice if you left me more than three potatoes,” he called.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vZF02kIuS
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Lamija’s laugh rang out across the ring. “You came home late. That’s the tax.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtg2b7B6ipy
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“You eat like royalty and leave your big brother starving. That feels personal.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ8BC2tAkT
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She slowed Caesar into a wide circle. “I regret nothing.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyYm3JsesZ
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“How was the meeting?” he asked.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGekib3GiLB
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Her smile faded into something exasperated. “Called our airport quaint and tried to explain logistics to me like I hadn’t been running international routes since I was twenty.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQpKbNGYnm
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“He’s the one Babo wants?”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwetEV0fodr
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“Apparently. You know how he is. Sees an investment portfolio and forgets common sense.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjg7P7regX
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Imran chuckled. “That’s our father.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEQoOapPGL
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“I told him we’d follow up. Politely.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwkKBdhA2n
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29WQCdyTDn
Imran leaned further into the fence. “Adil called me.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡal7UJUy5ER
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Lamija groaned audibly. “What now?”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYfeMIjhGz
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“He said Nedim saw the link you sent me on instagram—the Solène purse. The one you so subtly captioned ‘buy me.’”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlWCBeFbzz
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Lamija grinned despite herself. “Subtlety is a lost art.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4Cno9kvYy
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“I already bought it. For Eid. Don’t get cocky.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfeg9b0Krc
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“I’m just saying—you understood the assignment.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdB6EyrAOIH
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Imran smirked. “Nedim wanted to buy it for you. Said it was a way to get his foot into the door. As a peace offering.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7A6P5Px2w
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Lamija’s expression turned icy. “Did you tell him where to shove it?”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQ5Tc2kchB
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“I may have used slightly more colorful language.. If Babo ever heard him talk like that—”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgBREO3H5X
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“He’d light their offices on fire.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwqCPojjwa
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“And I’d hand him the match.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtQfELm60S
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They shared a moment of wordless understanding.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu52rI9jpMw
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Caesar snorted, stomping one foot in disapproval of the break.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriehDnFY4R
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Imran scratched his neck. “So... Ayub?”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQyYTFbFLD
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Lamija exhaled. “Everyone’s worried I’ll break him. Mama. You. Everyone.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvj447XcZ8d
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“He’s been through a lot. That doesn’t mean he’s fragile—but he’s not someone you test just to feel something.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupYqUgaJqm
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“I’m not heartless.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTo55RY1AY
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“I know. But you’re curious. And with someone like Ayub, that’s not a neutral emotion.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fNLdUJXXI
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Lamija fell quiet, guiding Caesar into another slow pass.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFfXsTA91s
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“I don’t want to feel guilty for not feeling the same,” she admitted.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03wrmEIgNt
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“You shouldn’t. You owe no one your affection.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSPRopL2qh
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“Even if he’s... Ayub?”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKAWcARgIz
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“Even then.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHhyK9fJ9U
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They stood in silence again as Caesar moved. The horse had slowed, sensing the shift in energy, his muscles stretching through the curve.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEiwv2G5r0
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“Still chasing Selma?” Lamija asked after a long beat.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsP9RnpQNH
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Imran smiled, soft and firm. “I want her, Lamija.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxihtxnWWR
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“I don’t think she’s ready.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVb5qOwxzB
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“I can wait.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZsZumYrRo
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Caesar snorted—loud and unamused. He stamped again, this time closer to the fence, and tossed his head like he’d been excluded from the conversation too long.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzHrLk03sp
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Lamija laughed. “He thinks you’ve had enough of my attention.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTjJOYgj7e
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Imran reached over the fence to scratch Caesar behind the ear. The stallion flared his nostrils, huffed, and—shockingly—leaned into it.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMYUAZenzN
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“See?” Imran said smugly. “We’re building trust.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4zqFT4D9Q
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Lamija rolled her eyes. “Don’t let it go to your head.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmEfzZz4Gt
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“I want to ride him.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwFYN4zwnI
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“Absolutely not.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rou5it6cc
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“I think we’ve reached an understanding.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzxgDTzkNu
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“You’ll be broken in half.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQ53EeXEMH
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Imran was already climbing the fence. “Then scatter my ashes with flair.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4iHJGHCuy
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Caesar watched him approach like a king tolerating a jester.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnh8vtfQqu
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Imran grabbed the reins gently. “Easy, buddy. Let’s be friends.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapnYUJXBPY
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He mounted quickly. Caesar didn’t move. He stood frozen lulling Imran into a false sense of security. Then he exploded. He tore through the ring like a bullet with hooves. Imran held on—for one glorious, adrenaline-fueled second.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpiztbh3vA
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Then came the buck.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKcuGt3MKe
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Then another.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOiTgaycNh
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And on the third, Imran flew.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgkZggBerM
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He landed in the dirt with a thud and a very ungraceful grunt.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7XFG2DXHK
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Lamija was already sprinting. “Imran!”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQjzADU0pO
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCxS85BbaQ
He rolled onto his back, groaning. “I’m alive.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYVQ6QvFvf
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She dropped to her knees beside him. “You’re a certified idiot.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAQdT11SKH
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Caesar trotted to the fence, glared once, and turned his back with a dramatic flick of his tail.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDKNFgmn8T
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“Wow,” Imran muttered. “He’s petty.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbd2vlOixot
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“He gave you ten seconds. That’s a personal record.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dyFRlAnoQ
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“Tell him I’m open to peace talks.”33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKe7GH6aIc
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Lamija laughed, brushing dust off his hoodie.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12QumQzu6t
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They sat together on the edge of the ring, shoulders close.
Imran looked at her then. Really looked.
“You know,” he said, “Ayub’s not perfect. But he’s good. And he loves you—not in some distant, poetic way. In a real way. He’d show up. Every day. Quietly. Consistently.”
“I know,” she said softly. “That’s what makes it hard.”
Imran nodded. “You don’t owe him anything. Not a feeling. Not a future.”
“But?” she asked.
“But if there’s even a part of you that wonders what it might look like… to build something real with someone who sees you already?” He paused. “I think you should give him a chance.”
Lamija’s brows drew together, not in resistance—but in something more complicated.
Imran’s voice dropped.
“It hurts less,” he admitted, “when I picture you with someone like him. Someone I trust. Someone who’d protect you like I would—without ever making you small to do it.”
That landed.
Lamija didn’t respond. Not right away. But her posture shifted, her arms uncrossing as she reached down to rest her hand against the fence.
Caesar let out a long breath behind them, the tension in the ring softening.
“I’m not promising anything,” she said quietly.
“I’m not asking you to,” Imran replied. “Just… don’t shut the door before you check what’s behind it.”
Lamija smiled faintly.
“Has anyone ever told you you’d make an excellent therapist?”
Imran grinned. “Only every time you come to me for unsolicited advice.”
She bumped her shoulder into his.
He didn’t push again.
He didn’t need to.
Something had already started to shift.
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