"What the hell was that?"72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkWw6SdKxE
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepZuXa5s3o
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.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduAhWL1zke
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0ZOIim9cg
Ayub sighed. "What was what?"72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24VSS4DC1q
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6toOSUKa1
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."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3NZEzn4YY
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6Km05vlGR
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDxYkwOCOe
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMibV4MPXTe
"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."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnmxf7ok49
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LqGrgFI1U
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKK0BIN2Zo5
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlK8UX4OxD
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYqMU7E2Sh
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cKeD9m2KR
"Trust me, I know."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4qClaSuOS
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOR1hFJuU2
"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.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwH3W8DKSNM
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Ayub gave him a flat look.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZTacCjQRs
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCb1CBUrbED
"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCq3uorPQZ
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡns2DK1MRep
"She’s nice. Not for me."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEpJhnQLGb
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPz5oKKjGw
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfmcI7ngJE
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiQN2rdImp
Ayub said nothing.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1SBy1STiW
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The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiax7H5aVYQ
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Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKitttCXKHT
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxaWGetO8I
"What?"72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEmSwmZtrh
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKDfJbtNtZ
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyDym4tyZm
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJeFNau1VF
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGjg0DQ6JM
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpAGDperyK
He didn’t answer.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWW9m9r07a
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKN0sbA3xD8
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQcdvlIsKO
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXiJnxYep3
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8QyQZYuAS
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hJnnLDMNF
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. 72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZuQqTfGWl
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmZT0REh6M
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1mHq6LYHI
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ904dnX36C
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZibtz5uXB
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzW827fmMb
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7U6mldFyS
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnYHNS5U8F
"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?"72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4khQEA3zK
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4TVuVSlgc
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7YyndRaiq
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SQb0rrIOe
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflUWIEqaXI
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4Q3fc3Vwe
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmXD1L8Uf8
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5b3rI4qy54
Ayub hesitated, glancing toward the building. "You sure? Talha looks one bad day away from a lawsuit half the time. He’s intense."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfbvgABitg
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1SJd5ihFM
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.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UTutzYjbj
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It didn’t look like much.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtkP9fItth
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlDAnAlQu9
But it would.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLV4XNWJsN7
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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.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIF7Rwqj2zM
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The caller ID lit up.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSnOJ2MjQP
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRfSN7Wk7N
Adil.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Sfgk2khzy
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUum7bs4Za
Both men groaned in unison.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq28ZPLSb7Z
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2w1yh0TK0
"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqJeK2nvuP
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Bt9ZTP76n
Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkObcLmlfs
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFCsCuo9f2
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.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzLfPXFM2B
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Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqcRs1ALEz
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvpHwHSgAJ
Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaETlWYwg8
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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. 72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYyZazVziQ
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNlVSmRcMS
Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHPyJDpJGc
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡretq9OyRCM
She wasn’t interested.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFwbSMbiBp
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7061wScxGA
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.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgZ0WsuKRu
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He jabbed the speaker icon.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfu4sqBc9yo
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvjHHHgENm
“Adil,” he said, voice flat.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBpR9Mn8lH
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwRNyF05Tn
“Imran!” Adil’s voice poured through the car, smooth and smug as ever. “Still hiding from society in dusty construction zones?”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuTf2Bf4Ip
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojddZemmSZ
Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVr3mbF0BbQ
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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.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRnse1LDBn
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIBnwsaTMI
Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroHsdvxICl
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMznJwnQDL
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.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvke9PL0vb
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7f7XyFxNy
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.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJvolp6R8r
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There was a pause on the line.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnPwmxc8ke
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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.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qdQxtVPxr
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CLKNVWa8K
Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WiYgRkybD
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfJ38Eh1fQ
“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1Wxq0NpI6
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The call ended.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXSJAplHt2
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Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUH593x5pu
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Neither of them spoke for a while.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NT9vJj93e
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oeArsBzS0
Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aAHjbK5Jm
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjFzEvBnmh
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?"72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAczmDqKv7
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5np0l2GJ6
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.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSZop2cPZO
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4pfKgqPBO
Ayub sighed. "What was what?"72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdfEcXwCf4
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwqDM6tWwJ
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."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzJNNYXwIR
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0DgpHEeNW
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtAOVtag7q
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREnJdTN8rg
"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."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiGNXKMwL2
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC17Rz9dd6L
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OI12C61cN
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeExWqSBnnR
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJU6nUwEzg1
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcPPoL618U
"Trust me, I know."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qWhsuK1IL
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOSdIjdq1l
"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.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulLX7eGyvI
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wnTDn05hf
Ayub gave him a flat look.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtR7AvEpZef
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"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0TWrlQQpf
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1B6tgwFj3
"She’s nice. Not for me."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzInKRTnqSa
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDXWQVUn3t
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtE7kwZvZjS
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMxKFOcEwl
Ayub said nothing.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBnfYwTWsm
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The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6V9gs3AzLb
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpDOP7GLCq
Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4C7xYDG3b2
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IX426mTHy
"What?"72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28mGhEUeHo
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0v3eDuS7d
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvb95Qi3jUC
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpiNRyHtcz
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiL6g4o3od4
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9p6khNkTz7
He didn’t answer.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡteqeQQrdiL
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Seq1fx14O
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPr4jvcHzS
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwtH9ZGPkg
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVw4AEIxLa
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5s84uyhGcy
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. 72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cpOFUI0AN
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1YuJcp8ax
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYU6eGMOSZe
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKCMmylbE6
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlN4uLIsT9t
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86WEzyZcKg
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXwDZH4vwa
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGzKEAX3N6
"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?"72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcKmuphEJz
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CLvbV7Alj
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKzMOT1lX6
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9Y8q42gvE
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaosVk7zpYF
72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvX1xsyTvhE
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0uwfOTmZ3
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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."72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAOrwnGnjq
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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.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOeGsp8yL6
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It didn’t look like much.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJpTOhhNt3
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But it would.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EL0AC4TD8
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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.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiHRp9GrkI
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The caller ID lit up.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2uSgxdMVP
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Adil.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhRhZ3EpkT
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Both men groaned in unison.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLHMQxLKoy
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"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4EUpnEd0m
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Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6HlMQGzff
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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.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMm6uQJ3Fh
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Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTORu9WuCv
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Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeqmcscfnI
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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. 72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuJpnybu8h
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Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTrGILIfHA
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She wasn’t interested.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGF7g0OK1k
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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.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaR43hTZjn
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He jabbed the speaker icon.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd118wRfzGP
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“Adil,” he said, voice flat.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lkSY5mLc4
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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?”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLGKYRETzN
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Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkz1jEKLpJ
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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.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jH7orGW3d
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Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojsHXgmStE
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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.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV90qKqn0q1
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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.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNcb1tQkjm
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There was a pause on the line.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU76H7gkqUT
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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.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmrf8EQgMk
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Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwihRuMyhdF
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“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDidNyKFZHl
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The call ended.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBEg3cD9dy
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Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIjzHY1iMP
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Neither of them spoke for a while.72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHVrfntPBS
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Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”72Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6Zi1Q553W
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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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