"What the hell was that?"108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxmwrseuLp
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKaHQihUoZ
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqRSV45MDQ
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Ayub sighed. "What was what?"108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JcqpFeLjS
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Imran turned on his heel to face him, grinning like the proud older brother of a man who had just learned how to throw a punch. "That line. That delivery. That tone. You know exactly what."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO120bDQSNh
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2i3DgyhDiS
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXNMT7C6M6
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmkvvp06hm
"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."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqSnN1ZsUN
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRzDiDPWRW
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyjRcBqV9S
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABhRQQuuYi
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqNUfylM1S
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaxhSYMmAf
"Trust me, I know."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOv3XjWOW12
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gSpXU7uV0
"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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBF2PsJ4Qp
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Ayub gave him a flat look.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAHqRFXva3
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"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4hpYuyAq3
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AfXoYeGm1
"She’s nice. Not for me."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1J7dc5ZS3
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0292m38ZG
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxsW3YZKeX
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBmK6CGfG1
Ayub said nothing.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7h9Bx4oq3w
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The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QDbejyn94
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3k63L0Ga4R
Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0OSgGELgk
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1EhDUGoMD
"What?"108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOyIo6eMmP
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHeJ5sUZto
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywpde0np33
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7shas8Eaf6
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxi8yRfR7CK
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChbBKOMAnZ
He didn’t answer.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7x1tvg2PA
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But the tightness in his jaw said enough.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjyj5UOO3A
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEK2DZGlOO
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2y0CHksh3m
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCBbdjsJFN
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. 108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprymvXhZX8
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5fHeEhwdr
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bEMjlCc9A
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCD3VbPZ0iL
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5axqzPeDc5
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOPMcQAQGr
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJbc13ccFo
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6SuK5x4R5
"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?"108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHMtK92fBp
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DE8DfYwT3
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOvVOwGqWY
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtXmieu6JG
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uDyX8l2dz
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9ezQ6Iw3i
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xipXUcfSQ
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpt10AtekaH
Ayub hesitated, glancing toward the building. "You sure? Talha looks one bad day away from a lawsuit half the time. He’s intense."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9rbrqvsOH
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeN1oLPKMk7
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMLERyJkZo
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03ZUphzx8E
It didn’t look like much.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TW0jUdTNz
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwA2wQiHIy1
But it would.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQKSUZySW5
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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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cinQrou70
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The caller ID lit up.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYeK34hFrO
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JsE9Hcbdq
Adil.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3Nrjx5gly
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUoBBwYrKOv
Both men groaned in unison.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofXxdaWjjj
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"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtprSQgU1vh
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmM4UIqT2Li
Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7vnazxyJk
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZKteQ4mBP
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdskwJvHZzk
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Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqqG31SpO7
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Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJ5ck2gbdm
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98RfrXhKZW
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. 108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMmAvw0mhJ
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Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDODyfuAXb
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She wasn’t interested.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuZuyd6gT3
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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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuLgE6AnuU
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He jabbed the speaker icon.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoUbWbCHOp
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“Adil,” he said, voice flat.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlrQWy3CT3
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZTNKMYLKs
“Imran!” Adil’s voice poured through the car, smooth and smug as ever. “Still hiding from society in dusty construction zones?”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfC6QmFFgyv
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFVBnpsosp
Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGtANr6rsb
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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.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUPFjUyPH9
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVesEY5ez7Y
Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1FBF4ru4V
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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.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkX8rNJKSnt
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Jp2Pudk4F
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.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cwkmUCrjY
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There was a pause on the line.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeN3WRsFHym
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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.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXScnSKNzN5
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Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIMFsQJNZK
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKpiujEhc7
“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkaNGac1gs
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The call ended.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeG7LDbRiMK
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Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYq0GN4sGqv
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Neither of them spoke for a while.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7img42xto
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Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaee2f0MAW
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Imran’s fists flexed on the wheel. “Same.”
Ayub watched him in silence. There was nothing to say—because he knew if it ever came down to it, Imran would burn it all.
That was the difference.
Men like Imran protected from the front.
Men like Ayub watched from the edge, unsure if they were even allowed to step into the fight.
And for the first time all day, Ayub wasn’t just angry.
He was reminded.
That no matter how steady he stood, no matter how much he gave, a woman like Lamija might never see him as more than a shadow behind her father’s throne.
"What the hell was that?"108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Rt2Yw9oWF
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnh9UxAF7L
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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxij69rmMH
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Ayub sighed. "What was what?"108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkE9iXJXvT
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBSwBZVKk1
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."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbC1B1kf3Ft
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9JvQ3zrse
Ayub kept walking toward the elevator. "She pushed. I responded."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzs0awE0MF
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIOZSBF6YY
"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."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhzYB6HbJt
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6M2ABEJsFq
Ayub rubbed the back of his neck. "She was messing with me the whole meeting. It was... a lot."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHuZFpnPO6
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iMutFPJ4j
Imran hit the elevator button, still grinning. "She put you with Jasmina. That was the ultimate middle finger."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN20H71dhCX
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"Trust me, I know."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUAN0QUztr
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVF7tKjdQkS
"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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDG9il8LnP5
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Ayub gave him a flat look.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9k6s5B972r
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"You don’t like her?" Imran asked.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnRDCdtPSJ
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"She’s nice. Not for me."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YRiyZ5l76
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwCNC9aPsO
Imran raised a brow. "Because she’s not Lamija."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOz9FQCL0Jk
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eL4s2nFhW
Ayub said nothing.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBNITHxaeP
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The elevator doors opened. They stepped in. The silence stretched.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CbZYxu6nR
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Imran looked at him sideways. "So what is this then?"108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumGZj3yNB8
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qc39gD6lc
"What?"108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCFPCjWNT1
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwkoo1VONC
"Are you... hoping for something now? With her?"108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31pUEsCxAH
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBUIPaQYvV
Ayub stared straight ahead, the numbers lighting up one by one above the doors.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0aG9D9jJ9N
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡco6UA6zdOj
He didn’t answer.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwnFVZDtB1
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJ60LQTpNL
But the tightness in his jaw said enough.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoGjyXaVeJ
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FOeALw2vE
Imran nodded slowly. "Man. You’re really in it now."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxeixUfmBS
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZVkMHxYE8
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. 108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGbwHfEXL0
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfDj7a2Nql
"Where are we going?" Ayub asked.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydG5KX3hlw
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiqI3hrsnn
Imran smirked. "To see a site I’m working on. New project. Off the company books, more personal."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtqXjd1PsF
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs16rsXfiMl
Ayub raised a brow. "You’re not usually one for side ventures."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pPTqNZYQ4
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQtR8RJ4Hg
"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?"108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXTtYvgYxp
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhra5lhY9DW
Imran nodded. "Yeah. I haven’t told him yet. He thinks I’m moving him to northern logistics."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKqCJyaq7Q
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBx8wVggXGB
Ayub let out a low laugh. "He’s going to think you’ve lost your mind."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡld2JtkxUVI
108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKPIQ4bOXO
"Maybe. But he’s ready. He just doesn’t know it yet."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PsuawHvcU
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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."108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3jev2CA03
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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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhv0ROCvIe
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It didn’t look like much.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmr9apfBwR2
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But it would.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzlVNhRUlx
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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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcAJwYkLMZ
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The caller ID lit up.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRBefp1t6E
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Adil.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVe0GiStX2I
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Both men groaned in unison.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7KCvQaAB6
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"Why is it always him?" Ayub muttered. 108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQKgO685gR
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Imran didn’t answer right away. His jaw had already locked.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqC2PBvJ1fn
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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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtoTRmwcER
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Nedim marries Lamija. Their logistics company folds into Begović Industries. The families become one on paper.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwV9ZH3uj5
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Ayub’s stomach turned every time he thought about it.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdP3a7dutNl
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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. 108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVlA9KRcNn
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Lamija had turned Nedim down in every language they shared—blunt, cold, unmoved.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBM2sIRD1M
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She wasn’t interested.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanE3EX3Sdl
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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.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAIQpZsr7t
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He jabbed the speaker icon.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEynRc3dF2v
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“Adil,” he said, voice flat.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fEMQWFfNS
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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?”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrWD4LxWCP
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Imran didn’t answer. Ayub stayed silent.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeITlXDFpp
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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.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMIArKjN2l
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Imran’s expression didn’t shift. “Already got it.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKsCzC4u6j
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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.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMje0IBe7jp
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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.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8g8XH8rmX
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There was a pause on the line.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdkGkN7Wec
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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.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8kQMnaBpN
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Adil gave a short, uneasy laugh. “Alright, alright. No offense meant.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBFhr4MM2U
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“Then stop acting like this is business,” Imran snapped. “She’s not part of your portfolio.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMBK41xpoG
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The call ended.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkisBokmmto
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Imran tapped the screen off and stared ahead, jaw tight.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡve380KwvIf
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Neither of them spoke for a while.108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNenfyIcTE
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Then Ayub muttered, “I hate that guy.”108Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZiGvuEbNM
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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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