I'd only been back twelve hours, and already my inbox looked like a war zone.
One week. One summit in Vienna. A few brutal layovers.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAsr828746
And I came back to find the entire rhythm of my org chart quietly rearranged.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6cTeLFD3Z
Not by me. Not by anyone who reports to me.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdLolOk9eT
But by the man at the top.
Husine Begović didn't ask for opinions. He gave orders.
Still, when I saw Ayub's name missing from my leadership circle, I had to reread it three times.
Transferred. Reassigned.
To Lamija's division.
I sat back in my chair, jaw tight.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Xz2chLA4n
He didn't even consult me. Not a message. Not a call.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7wixX4eZu
Just a silent maneuver that stripped me of one of my best men.
Ayub wasn't just good.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE49NqwCp3F
He was my stabilizer.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLD6ccTOcHV
The one I trusted when everything was on fire.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCPfX6bxDy
Precise, unshakable, loyal to the bone.
I didn't have many of those.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblOlE3Q9fm
And Babo just handed him off like a spare part.
It was strategic. Sure.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOBHowG2ne
Babo saw a storm in Lamija and thought Ayub would be the anchor. That made sense.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOtGChS9HF
But what grated was how quietly it happened—no discussion, no warning.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcr0oDyH3LN
Just a line moved from one chart to another, as if it meant nothing.
To me, it did.
I was still working through my flagged emails when the knock came.
Right on time.
Didn't even have to check the clock.
"Come in."
Ayub stepped inside, shoulders squared but tension radiating off him.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKT9itdDcMp
Calm on the surface, panic humming underneath.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaLvfpFOTo
I knew the look. He wore it when his father died. When Babo first offered him a role.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrnoHeoxRs
When he thought too much of himself was at risk to speak.
"Morning," I said, motioning to the chair.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRLn74nIkI
"Jet lagged and already three fires deep, so just say it."
He sat.
"I need to be reassigned," he said.
There it was.
I raised an eyebrow. "Thought so."
He shifted.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10Hc1RXqpm
"I just... I don't think I'm a good fit for Lamija's team. She works differently. Pushes hard. I don't know if I—"
"Ayub," I cut in, not angry, just sharp.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjBEoars9N
"You don't want to work with Lamija. Just say that. Don't dress it up in performance talk."
He exhaled through his nose, gaze dropping.
"You saw the update last night?"
He nodded. "Thought it was a mistake."
"It wasn't. Babo moved you.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYYJeCIRkp
And we both know his decisions don't come with feedback forms."
I leaned back, studying him.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKVpee2fIF
"You think you're not cut out for her team? That's garbage.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ46zEZ1brw
You're one of the best assets in this building.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfx85HQtlHH
You execute without fanfare, without ego, and you get it done."
His jaw flexed.
"But the reason she doesn't know that—the reason no one outside my team knows that—is because you don't let anyone see you.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAkxN6Rpo5
You do the job, then vanish.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPrJIgrYn5
You stay safe in the background and act surprised when no one hands you a stage."
Still quiet. That was always his move.
I leaned forward, voice lower.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPL9EM1DlH
"This isn't about the job. This is about her."
He tensed.
"You've avoided her for years. I watched it happen.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52v5eLbrol
Switching shifts, avoiding meetings, never once volunteering on anything tied to her division.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrRxmPfgfy
I let it go. Figured you had your reasons.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWPwOWCzeE
But now you're finally in her space and you want to retreat."
He said nothing, but his silence cracked louder than any words.
"She's not going to break you, Ayub."
He looked up, finally.
"You think she's this impossible standard, and maybe she is.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcqbZfatQE
She's sharp, relentless, and doesn't bend for anyone.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvormTIKKg
But that doesn't mean you don't belong beside her.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyiqL8V5OD
You don't need to compete with her.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQN4epVav9
You need to stop disappearing."
He ran a hand over his face.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlAiJNBNoY
He looked tired. Frayed.
"I don't belong in her world."
I shook my head.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJBVKb4QwY
"Don't give me that. You lived in our house. You ate at our table. My mother calls you her son.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWc3Amc1fc
You belong here more than half the clowns drawing a paycheck off our name."
Still nothing.
"You want me to go to Babo and reverse it? Can't. Wouldn't, even if I could."
His brow creased.
"Because you're not running this time. You're going to show up. Show her who you really are. And if she doesn't like it? That's her problem. At least she'll finally see you."
I let the words land. Let the silence sit.
Then I added, lighter, "You know what might actually help though? We get her married off."
He blinked. Just blinked.
"I'm serious," I said, straight-faced. "Set her up. Vet the prospects. Do background checks, call their mothers, screen their blood type. Maybe get psychological evaluations done ahead of time."
I tapped my tablet. "You could run the whole operation. Set up interviews. Coffee tastings. Prayer compatibility tests."
Ayub gave me the driest look I'd ever seen.
"I mean it," I added with a smirk.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0BIJU4r1d
"It'd be good for the company. Imagine the morale boost."
As he stood, he didn't say a word—just flicked me off on the way to the door.
I grinned.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9AykdTJrW
"That's more like it."
He walked out, shoulders still tight, but not shrinking.
I watched the door click shut behind him.
Maybe Babo knew what he was doing.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDsVbwTYzG
But it still felt like a warning shot.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
And now we meet Imran — eldest son, CEO-in-training, corporate firefighter, part-time therapist, full-time older brother who absolutely did not sign up for any of this.
He's trying to keep the entire empire from imploding while his father plays chess with people's careers and his sister sharpens her metaphorical sword before breakfast.
Also, yes — his solution to workplace tension is matchmaking.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsRliDh4Tf
Respectfully, he's tired.
Ayub wants to disappear.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFA994BZtKR
Lamija wants control.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26uNm8MC3X
And Imran just wants a functioning org chart and one (1) peaceful morning.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJkNMTmkNv
He's not getting it.
Let me know if you're starting to pick a favorite.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAWcr0mtCP
(And if it's not Imran by now, you're lying.)62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhQMi3s8n6
62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2liBlaJ9g
- Ash&Olive
62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNfZgyba9Q
and then Add to home screen.