"What the hell was that?"17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqA1ewWLoYx
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYE7RHdeJPX
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ucydgvn24
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMf4JbKtSs
Ayub sighed. "What was what?"17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYDmM9f9WR
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUaystCOefy
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."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPPzPTZfsy
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuXzoVBvok
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJRUf2s3DS
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYo1jSH1fU1
"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."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgmbLJgUhh
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgklctJ86d
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTo6pNJRSTI
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavLk3oHpS7
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OOs3VXKk6
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7frginHPzI
"Trust me, I know."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQQnyBuOBf
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1Q4zo5C34
"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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8WKDRWNvO
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAneg8nSa2
Ayub gave him a flat look.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwDfrrFPQ5
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60BlQKCVLW
"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeBBVEWSyI
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaViOBUEv1l
"She’s nice. Not for me."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwe62xX6rOC
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtET7A1AMcX
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrfvo6Uq2K
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSQaxkoUeI
Ayub said nothing.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpyaE8sSdV
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOTGwPB6OA
The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTn76dVM3uf
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡke4ovwMlhi
Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvFOjNAWiu
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSz5K99LHpJ
"What?"17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaqS9rWFCe
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ68LWyONXo
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡch5i4jnmoI
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxt2GHjuBt
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMY9GahkkV
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8mhgdRz0h
He didn’t answer.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUNtNTd94M
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExMKUNylcI
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZfZF3QKSc
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOaQscNld5g
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBx2MtIz7di
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBeh8WdnpD
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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyH9aEHm3c
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ra7EVYMNE
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEYDeGKagc
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEjT05YLt8
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBRxLwH4wm
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4leY7V0Po
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMAboB315q
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9UMiuNAZz
"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?"17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodxPKTzNgG
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cVOsLFfqE
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NbAIHID8N
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpWhdGriLw
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4m9cdTDpN
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89vH0oMO5D
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoLNxAEflZ
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTojVyFBD4
Ayub hesitated, glancing toward the building. "You sure? Talha looks one bad day away from a lawsuit half the time. He’s intense."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdQi4nuvaG
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXmJ51yQzT
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwIHBMN46G
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3He5AIAsh3
It didn’t look like much.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZpNGrLmPx
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfiLPEgyqF
But it would.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUyMrlJMRH
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrc5pD9srwA
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzj8o5NQbLY
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11EFEfeZ9l
The caller ID lit up.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMXLnMCLfz
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxZHqCHhoU
Adil.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDn8sqaS34s
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPJDkiBqkE
Both men groaned in unison.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoWsm5ILlJ
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGKLmzlhUO
"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmdwxo1eLC
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6WGrEloeF
Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnR6UXLY0jJ
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPoJxIu73U
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlu8VvD1q0v
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76E0FRsp00
Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvd8CJ96cGQ
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHP58EyNm52
Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lM6iwhNKD
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlnI61YpNI
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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhu1SKuWRO
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27mndFYaIg
Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFym0ZhDwF
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She wasn’t interested.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeikVuU3Ks
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfDzojWrKR
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5xE7bAQ0P
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJJ7OZ8OVT
He jabbed the speaker icon.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXeujKfQk3
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1omd5iENLD
“Adil,” he said, voice flat.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cQLzmcdgI
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ESYMwFmWQ
“Imran!” Adil’s voice poured through the car, smooth and smug as ever. “Still hiding from society in dusty construction zones?”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHpcbfit0v
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHBkCJdFxJ
Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIC4lIJ4U4U
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGQPn5SQ3r
“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.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSxBrY4iVu
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrh93L9hDWH
Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLdtHHVUhD
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHsJBsR1hq
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.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoPYiJ48NC
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpiwGPXKZi
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.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNxNhkbNpm
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0o6W7yLC4
There was a pause on the line.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbxcZkMj8x
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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.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12rnChImYQ
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4n7NaDAvV
Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7w8Q7aQOJ
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiD3dYdQFSj
“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRd7X1Rq0fa
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdv6bXdrqM
The call ended.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hZzHBuqqA
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4DXA57Ma8
Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBej7LXcwG
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Neither of them spoke for a while.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdnF0R9XJ3
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZR0RIwhZj
Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvlmQixHjI
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpLYuYBYsY
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?"17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Crub8EFl3
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ882op6VP8f
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMelX1RT4T
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXW0ezTmeaH
Ayub sighed. "What was what?"17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjwqdXkOHT
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHvDGQilb5
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."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxH7KLOkZWd
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuIW56zsyg
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWYMpHfFv9
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1v70vhcLo
"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."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBX2g1Tt2H
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VDZ4gjZpA
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMPGW5CQq8
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡla3sO5dKWm
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXuWYOuobX
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtvad4RdXA
"Trust me, I know."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtnBCal5Pm
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6cPHN7UMR
"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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGz23xSrmFj
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0p1A3RWard
Ayub gave him a flat look.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa13rnf4vL3
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqCnPVREfe
"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFJdh4eZKy
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWKyaMF1L6
"She’s nice. Not for me."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4hXLYJJWY
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0o3cnOYNHO
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ib77kAGuI
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgaFXvtBH5
Ayub said nothing.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9Kct4RQdv
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGF2kyDOsSW
The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuuImRbPe4
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGm7wjsA5F
Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJwNMyeoKX
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EdXvA4IBu
"What?"17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLkijoVQQj
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUaivTcl3W3
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAG4PPuF1fL
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VcZiRNUEr
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJSdmCYEoC
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9Un9VF1ey
He didn’t answer.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2mwLvaPdv
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPh5UdtKSy
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeaZNEsoC8
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJqn5Qoxl8
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBycmL92D9
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxECOXHgzi
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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBjMeOlobU
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSOjDibAqc
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IZMNdraed
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGgSutBu5f
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07i30rflkZ
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQW9KbLxhF
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWRS4EPokI
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2xZER72e7
"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?"17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcT5chmveAl
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IeeSezDJo
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xJ4qQnd0N
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXaSzvRqSV
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKqblBpE7B
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZpwLnMmyA
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBO0UTUkny
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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."17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiGrUpPPCf
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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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4OdwDEBms
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It didn’t look like much.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvivyF0U671
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But it would.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLl2ZR5iu66
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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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyCEuKM59N
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The caller ID lit up.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATtRS2HT2R
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Adil.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkmX10exAA
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Both men groaned in unison.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnrM7NZju8
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"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0k4GzsOv5G
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Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FmhUrf9q7
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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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCe9jvv7fy3
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Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuRLx1wfvL
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Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfLIffXs1U
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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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNIHpI1WLM
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Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmv7FhMJgB
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She wasn’t interested.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGruLzyvPpg
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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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99aFMHNxAY
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He jabbed the speaker icon.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4wzhIqqGq
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“Adil,” he said, voice flat.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmfxcrCp40
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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?”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYboJvMscV9
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Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQXVKuYWou
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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.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZUy8LvcyG
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Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TSmqrIDv9
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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.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRGLLlFNNL
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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.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvBDifikyD
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There was a pause on the line.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1V22dLy7Y
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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.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuGqwKBYfZ
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Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBUrlWSg5I
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“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHfmvJ1Ico
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The call ended.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnJg741SdD
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Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5NSYEOUjt
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Neither of them spoke for a while.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5BlGAA7Gv
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Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5vzGRteK0
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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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