"What the hell was that?"90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5WLP20pEE
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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.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaLNNK5nw5
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Ayub sighed. "What was what?"90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEloV6wu0N
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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."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6wUvgWotk
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Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxG3yHUpx0t
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"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."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJRZVOShwT
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Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMk0496o6U
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Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOQEMGg9En
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"Trust me, I know."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKRmVhntuk
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"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.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpM4ryyda1
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Ayub gave him a flat look.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnxyiZxI02
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"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWOQPxiLLc
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"She’s nice. Not for me."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EK4ypYuHt
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Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOVTxo0sgx
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Ayub said nothing.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpuqyJtIx5
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The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6sB1dTYJF
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Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPeZwlrsqbN
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"What?"90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nIyICXB7g
90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3gEwtbzf5
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGwTFX4mIP
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Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8bntp0n2y
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He didn’t answer.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT04CWTvUpe
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But the tightness in his jaw said enough.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38zZDiBhLt
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Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaHQY1C3Gx
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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. 90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ktxdFebVi
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"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96WYkH5LK4
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Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11MaTNH0RT
90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnGNmD9SaS
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHV7WxAaE9
90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8I9MemKQCR
"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?"90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgDoIq7AIS
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Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVtjuPMC7U
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Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OxGzRwjgq
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"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnT9HeaGteY
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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."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhNt1Nq1da
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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.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjAjVLQx9t
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It didn’t look like much.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrX0vDP2NYV
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But it would.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGSbeptW8t
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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.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPEs8TNHMU
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The caller ID lit up.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3d7PPJNRov
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Adil.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqQTbypdt8
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Both men groaned in unison.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4BdiNo1Og
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"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KBdr3ijP3
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Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnM62cpwsN
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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.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjffdgDYjt
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Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvkcN8v5mB
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Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlP5GmJcgU
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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. 90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEqgHzqKe6
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Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LaH6B1ZDY
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She wasn’t interested.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQwwKa7vZQ
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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.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LIs8VgT5x
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He jabbed the speaker icon.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1hr2T4ATq
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“Adil,” he said, voice flat.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbqzhgZ0Sr
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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?”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLUOn4g1x7
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Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRclyZy1nCW
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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.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLve6cPLSpO
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Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLftIWtzYo
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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.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPOIqhqdEw
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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.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9cvxoCjT8
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There was a pause on the line.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6Fi9tesPB
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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.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoVPItLcnM
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Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqfWa6RPIl
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“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNkJFkVOvL
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The call ended.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81t38QeaS0
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Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmn1PJhsSO
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Neither of them spoke for a while.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8E4QRqQ7u
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Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkTvxmsL9X
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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.
"What the hell was that?"90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhM6QhzhIAC
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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.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkh1lXQNgZ
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Ayub sighed. "What was what?"90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMkoYGvDcr
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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."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuyF7kNBdQ
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Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhChxaBlBqx
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"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."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdR801Z4pI
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Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepgN5udXa6
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Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GfskwHADY
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"Trust me, I know."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDSxPN6e25
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"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.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZhxOTPzYe
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Ayub gave him a flat look.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxx8woOzFvm
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"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGrRVxi8Ks
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"She’s nice. Not for me."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNL2jCS32vT
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Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBXE3DNumm
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Ayub said nothing.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuT6oiNfln3
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The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVz3w2Celo
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Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUof2esI5E
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"What?"90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzt0terK09
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"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWs0kxzOny
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Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfC17RKjp2
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He didn’t answer.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0NS2Mk5vd
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But the tightness in his jaw said enough.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAr9cbpxGDw
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Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BOeXyG5wa
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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. 90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQxeLhrExP
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"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKM1iwk8EK
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Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SDKrH7fxS
90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfalul6rln
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlbMqCLJO1
90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRTcn9vrvj
"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?"90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGICWhueVr0
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Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDDFi6iloa
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Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5wSA9wzkb
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"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgmbeVeCAC
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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."90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtERCQtXnXa
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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.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqfPC9NMfc
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It didn’t look like much.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzE0aa081B
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But it would.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEKzmCwLuX
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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.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmitXFwEG9
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The caller ID lit up.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpoym51yzh
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Adil.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSReFV5Opxa
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Both men groaned in unison.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xVsJj73xA
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"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dlsmjssUU
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Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlguMs4EmI
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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.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqgF893bD8
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Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNADoAe5F4Z
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Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZ25y2udEO
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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. 90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOt92PQ7U9
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Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pZkaZ9LcL
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She wasn’t interested.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvEyaSVQW4
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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.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqI5mbszb8
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He jabbed the speaker icon.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzbs8IAAOs
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“Adil,” he said, voice flat.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1y52jO1OIe
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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?”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZ1iTLeuhI
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Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8HqXGztj7
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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.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFvCPIc4QW
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Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPrGGyjICM
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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.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOC49lJpyf
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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.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7r8qPMJcgr
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There was a pause on the line.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrq4mJODAa
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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.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUit5hHLWFe
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Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlhtOCGCrh
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“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFekbqsO4LG
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The call ended.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcl6uXQprJZ
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Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMMdxn5hQE
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Neither of them spoke for a while.90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaifAGXaeVb
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Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”90Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozu9Axyd2k
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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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