"What the hell was that?"121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHeWs8Wfi1
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruG91yRoJU
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.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIxAKPOZCn
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zYX4rq2jM
Ayub sighed. "What was what?"121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hKAyw8mTe
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EJy8CrZZh
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."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbsfCjBgxC
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyH0vs84CH1
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBNtfnUiv7
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQZO1B2UCy
"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."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAr3hulauV8
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBMDvHQ6rs
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsfaMJMfsU
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvx5iTkp24O
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7jcEMWBLI
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnTRovXbb5
"Trust me, I know."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBG3VU11xkG
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0HXltblEv
"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.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5o32Sh1lii
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFR2esEeS4D
Ayub gave him a flat look.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJkr06bHah
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDTavgBqtQ
"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3tj2zWAc4
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSrQW9aowT
"She’s nice. Not for me."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9icRyBn9Q
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwWPZ7omYo
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4n7Lc316o
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7xJnMCAGJ
Ayub said nothing.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJd7lgdM0g
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26qTcWX6UQ
The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnixDV2AYoZ
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwayhB7n2Qj
Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQqq9glDUS
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡij0XVLCRIj
"What?"121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAeuUUh9Pi
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokT2beR2lI
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlectctPMMR
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdTvT9VZCK
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04GEZW10Xx
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWCkjfZqjR
He didn’t answer.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCrBX78UJR
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jYKAgq8UF
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Z6wDzhS1N
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtngT324eab
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44r7GZCLrT
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsqGQJ3WZv
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. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7I3U0EXnD
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1JG6JRHiC
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡes77P6lzoc
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3YZRezb3T
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvMURvf43a
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4D3VRfXSoo
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAuT0xWpKy
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhVtohTYD0
"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?"121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsZAZPYJz9
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHO2FWppU4
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡritH44m3ik
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntxYDwTtwM
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOekolhEce
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGuzuZDGq2
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8PW2SwjYd
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYMqJbRG3b
Ayub hesitated, glancing toward the building. "You sure? Talha looks one bad day away from a lawsuit half the time. He’s intense."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5AkuviOiE
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Edw4ajUAv
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.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUH9zrsELio
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7U7xX5nRI
It didn’t look like much.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtzfys0kOb
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8053hB6OXZ
But it would.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOlBg149fL
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hD8apQWbK
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.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAtfiXsswe
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIMYeGU7F8
The caller ID lit up.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUeFsQOWB6
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡru5j3Cc1JO
Adil.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWtGe9S7VH
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRu0G057ZwR
Both men groaned in unison.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqPUBDk3Cs
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCshW9coL1
"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNreOh0D8Y
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGzHC40EXa
Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyHfhaMl7W
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0xz5TeJkA
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.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETGgk1gS9m
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkNb1XMExW
Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnoNtR6FeY
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHbbKC29Qh
Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8PT5n5BJM
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFKwonEhKs
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. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQ1T9vvBXQ
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAx9sf1N9am
Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDT2UphKCb
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCeNxV9Smc
She wasn’t interested.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FMlu65Cfi
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1TGi9a83g
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.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqBA5emt4H
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvssVAY5uS
He jabbed the speaker icon.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBkGQZKSH2
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlllb7USZfs
“Adil,” he said, voice flat.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjC7elaLuGq
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22VZCVWjFS
“Imran!” Adil’s voice poured through the car, smooth and smug as ever. “Still hiding from society in dusty construction zones?”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35UZUovS7h
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCtbUKpan4
Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukY7Kq9w2o
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0GwmmNbhs
“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.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYYku4sJRx
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4l5de5VuMb
Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3QRQK8kTC
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkF5B6RLZm7
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.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeuNBV4Dmm
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbpCvDDd4r
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.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9PJGaTxjD
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfy34HvW17g
There was a pause on the line.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALvsUfx0Kl
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IQ0KUtGQN
“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.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvfIyQMw1T
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KMOnbGZLQ
Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9WzTSrTaN
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUP3xkvdU6X
“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvbaM3r2vj
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMuvkF5KIl
The call ended.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wOKAhypCO
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCeLCWHB7s
Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMgtwgmxOr
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJYt4Xv6h4
Neither of them spoke for a while.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDL97o6nRq
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeFMpD9OfH
Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDnWqs9TS1
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1HDGE4qv8
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?"121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡei6H4LJy0X
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2n6E0lavzp
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.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyh9ckbVFyk
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrzb9PqNB7
Ayub sighed. "What was what?"121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh85Fh5K2eb
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5X6l4nhnCb
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."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mSc57OZHX
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisvchHKySA
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sVKcfq3Ij
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ429zGtZjOC
"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."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDZq9zCZMV
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8SYDv6TZX
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iw6VwbTNV
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rZsPehXwp
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4w3rU2vv3
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTQiySOSup
"Trust me, I know."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeh9Lek2Gb4
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJMdJYTWHm
"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.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjBxF3fxJC
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiPeEm3RnM
Ayub gave him a flat look.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBusz0fqqGh
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiFdcQrKm0
"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZQkWaD6rz
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuC2Yz5RMjE
"She’s nice. Not for me."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBXYnoGpBW
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBw9LOqvWo2
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ggxv1glXj
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7i5vENUX4
Ayub said nothing.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QCuNIKkZ8
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59MQvXq6pR
The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SIkuFFYIX
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuY6y6nEaM
Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVfKZleHtj
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gKPTRQzbr
"What?"121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrvbVkPYYm
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbhaSJ2Egv
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLAIU532Jd
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDv9i28C8uC
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3RBRxcsZEV
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjb5t7YR74u
He didn’t answer.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmxAWWxeo1
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiQBScDpFT
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprXyKv4Kts
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKi5omZBIR
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ga7hjBYkw
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwf4A03Et2Z
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. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyDOilwV6E
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfC70WiqOM
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKM0q6dC9N
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3c0LJWRcIt
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnF9aCQqtrf
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRfI5geU0l
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmZhwbNhVR
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9Y4478DXM
"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?"121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAgrjJlle4
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8GT2ru2ks
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3ayXbwOku
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDNKWlrBPT
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsd8H3CgVeV
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JYk2yw6ps
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEAN4fQAxM
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGA6faiSXZ
Ayub hesitated, glancing toward the building. "You sure? Talha looks one bad day away from a lawsuit half the time. He’s intense."121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKbuKhtKqc
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K8JCpL8av
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.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2imJRJh6GV
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQumhowbfs
It didn’t look like much.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhC6Egf4iz
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQqbUgs3eb
But it would.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQJtA9gOLA
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YouhMORsm
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.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CtRnIvpeF
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64LvgkRtPE
The caller ID lit up.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YkLrycXxj
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhLA1RtgdM
Adil.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycs6sJW89C
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXnkJfJxvK
Both men groaned in unison.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruV7cjmZT1
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4Hb0itWxU
"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSublTQ134
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDPnNsqRI0
Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1UsKwBKPS
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5ky1m2yux
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.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYBNXYMINj
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUg0RqlqGy3
Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4T6NL2KtW
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLOfsVRYrN
Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHfXK1B1Ej
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhq5QfuEj2O
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. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpy9OmvHHc
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvdSYSqKP8
Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhuulLwa0X
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6brapRMS8Z
She wasn’t interested.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VSL04d26H
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPyDpVKMq1
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.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZx0UfdSck
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGkNiY2IzI
He jabbed the speaker icon.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8rVIwi1nM
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAyG0Vrvr9
“Adil,” he said, voice flat.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamh9a8lTcX
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMuyG1zxm8
“Imran!” Adil’s voice poured through the car, smooth and smug as ever. “Still hiding from society in dusty construction zones?”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9khIFkT2R6
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzsTpsz73N
Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNipMx6xiEf
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCKOmwKil9
“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.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vgEuDhBVV
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuux4lWFvcZ
Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINuPDKqpzn
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXncCdiQxY
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.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VFyuJB2kD
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1fKMDpjox
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.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy54elKw4o3
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYQUcFhrlS
There was a pause on the line.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj62iI7ywMM
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79TC0jHcnz
“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.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmwIupCwC7
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebqc6sBcbe
Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIXfhy7zvH
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT95XKmd1IO
“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnb9Uuiw5i
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkIHY71Cej
The call ended.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKSokCfUoA
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsarzZJUn0E
Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiZkJJtZ8F
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbWjRmdZVM
Neither of them spoke for a while.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBTfiaUF89
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGR7y6xTL3b
Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqVVvPfJre
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaPR0aWcsW
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.
121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcL3BJF7N7f
然後按「加至主畫面」