"What the hell was that?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsKosAJ22m
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdA4zL3jBY
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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6z3J77t01y
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwFQgiSg8s
Ayub sighed. "What was what?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7U0nXomIF
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcLLKyteoi
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."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisM4aj8oOp
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0jAsI73oo
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuloLxqBZyQ
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHEymiu34s
"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."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Xvpd8hkIm
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDB8YjxAjI
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjmAtz8Y52
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGb2v9x3MQ
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRvpOK0eOJ
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuSJKn6zz2
"Trust me, I know."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3XVicVJzy
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCfzrYJ8Hy
"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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfVkx2TgwV
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHrxyo94gH
Ayub gave him a flat look.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbnCWYuPyv
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwnc6jk2O5
"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nqup3VNbD
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLunwRQdTEX
"She’s nice. Not for me."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Ez06isZmT
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnniaHIb8H1
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9waP8WZVH
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcm5qJC3790
Ayub said nothing.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTKrCit0HO
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The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmSnMwGA4B
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1eKNURymx
Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NChiS5GH3
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1y8NU7g1c
"What?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKv8QFDhPVg
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRMOozpiBD
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8i21xkwkAO
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XJAn13tIc
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0VmmkYJtA
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tgMSMrgYn
He didn’t answer.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYPg8hJ5oS
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXVV9YCZ9Z
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPh4oLN00w2
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN78ok9OsWE
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjvbKvnRm5
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWcrF9U86j
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. 116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdXNozKVlR
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ597hgUnJ20
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQf61zBwmVv
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQfkhEfTgb
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwy97IEgyC
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KoB69AyM9
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTs4iTM2Be
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5Bg54EYkm
"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?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgyO6vHj5g
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeho5nckRtN
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvw87MPSbFv
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEaYjvoj0K
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vf09lz3iS
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeeFbGrBap
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sf2DOEUk1
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmA9ErUnuY
Ayub hesitated, glancing toward the building. "You sure? Talha looks one bad day away from a lawsuit half the time. He’s intense."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoc1r6vqs0Z
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCH1gr5u8ta
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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FPUvooGmL
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGT7nnusk2
It didn’t look like much.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGT13muA56U
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5YCZXmrcd
But it would.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mnMJlqpHO
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDC8b26oQD
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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc33ghqcyHH
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthBC8TaPeH
The caller ID lit up.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1h88B6gZk
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHRkzIfJoM
Adil.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZe5nhOT6wT
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3XkvN7Js4
Both men groaned in unison.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhb69W74V86
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXA81O0qQ3P
"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbXEXO8OWV
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vPmSoirbW
Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkyuDyDzXe
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPNxZP0WmE
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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMeSXpbZ3n
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrW9un3sHdh
Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCCF1FWhZO
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSjD95Hn42
Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Un8uHyWqp
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFNQJ3occQ
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. 116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPGeDAYoEP
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOvw0y1vjd
Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYxkU1YFax
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She wasn’t interested.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXAYeOhXpI
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOAiyRObVa
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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pkmQHJFKE
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbodjXUTwOj
He jabbed the speaker icon.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVAtS2exQg
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MbaluiuRU
“Adil,” he said, voice flat.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22gwThROW7
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gz6JX9qbc
“Imran!” Adil’s voice poured through the car, smooth and smug as ever. “Still hiding from society in dusty construction zones?”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7s95sBydx
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyQ20hTDXq
Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eItcl2ULz
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEX3J5TkI2h
“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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EOPcip3RU
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2XrZcIVxA
Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1r9XjYL2S
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHNTEX8Zzi
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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaozhi99bXc
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmd6GBlDkCm
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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnK4PlXU0uV
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8J37qltZZ
There was a pause on the line.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPk3bNuwZs
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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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzmxBeEcFo
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVdvKBGE2r
Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCmRXusBJL
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0q25wRhX12
“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgUylSa5Nz
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcymHuLayt
The call ended.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlIzwWEV1L
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Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXW72GJ7Gv
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDw8w4ud7AN
Neither of them spoke for a while.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WpvlIN64f
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4UIpvrZog
Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05451gu3GX
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaXUPSyRVm
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?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aVX5gasnx
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63I4P5eVsc
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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnq8TSj2IW2
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IWew1QeyB
Ayub sighed. "What was what?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjOfGCXvfl
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcMNxq0owi
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."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0wzgQzaS3
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqYOUm6riB
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63BrpjpxbU
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yEOBmHsFN
"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."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxMSy12jjh
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeS2i02GZqw
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qOPLCOFO0
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkg6GO5tCUC
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKHITQa936
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgPNxCiKlk
"Trust me, I know."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLzlmICM6E
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09xJfCnSUG
"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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGl37e6Ajy
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17ibnjtctZ
Ayub gave him a flat look.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7MgsmIxdd
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5i2fqnqOOV
"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknwGxXKojn
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"She’s nice. Not for me."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUpJamTruy
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGeom2PQhV
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt84CZdIXvq
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6NnVw7uxn
Ayub said nothing.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUcY5AnEv4
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIM8KSRSw0t
The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmLOyolvdI
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8hPQWw4Ji
Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2Xw6BRjYq
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXZSR4p58S
"What?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Xb87LAKZc
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjClf0ppnSJ
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6gIWKQd1O
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvViu4DOspJ
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKV6Et6l8w
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMfvKuZv6W
He didn’t answer.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRCubv8k0f
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWS1XsRHWiP
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPpkSZKghE
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVGAyKiq7V
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWS8Kbilos0
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9Ld5j8iZ3
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. 116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLXuFYBMoL
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eROwJYhyX
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTSNu6qIEU
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveRS62NVv7
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpM4t8lIBdB
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHP8NziydFD
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpx5rRgsRDz
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvZgbZ5nPV
"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?"116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ywKVUPytR
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0s3zYx10w
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaUvIJqW4I
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuABuP7DDu
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUEwooZice
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LjfV3Aalr
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYB79H3Stpf
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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."116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BLWYEz4Nx
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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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzViOEuLTp5
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It didn’t look like much.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqZrv0oRTW
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But it would.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdYRYrCTTU
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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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruSwqOCkYz
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The caller ID lit up.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGraE1e2B6
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Adil.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHaf9msHFi
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Both men groaned in unison.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qYnfpdBAh
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"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEb1N1isV1U
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Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLaUNRofRU
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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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K7Z0UmFtU
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Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEl1n9Ooos
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Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82ugP09q9Z
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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. 116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWVlug1vmZ
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Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemrYRpXfCp
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She wasn’t interested.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2NiYYrons
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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.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCVjacifZn
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He jabbed the speaker icon.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRC8WpfQWW
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“Adil,” he said, voice flat.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwShkkoqie
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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?”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXaa5UissV
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Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XAf0gheuM
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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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYRdL1EKj5
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Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjI9vWOJW2L
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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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lqXUVz1fa
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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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemsCDQeoCR
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There was a pause on the line.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUEWHXRwmx
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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.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXYzK2lTRc
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Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChn5U91AF7
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“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20v4LmUv4Z
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The call ended.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJMKNCH3pk
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Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqPSnPgtDJ
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Neither of them spoke for a while.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzVd12mKSQ
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Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfnR1nuyhX
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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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