I Dumped a Scumbag and Married A Boxer Star

Chapter 3: A Ride to Nowhere

"A lot of stares…"

"Well, not every day you see a bride in a short white dress, clinging for her life," Raphael smiled.

The bus moved forward as Ines gripped the metal pole.

The unfamiliar sway of the vehicle made her stomach die a little.

She had never been on public transport before.

Her world had always been one of luxury, private drivers, and black cars with tinted windows.

But now, she was standing in a rattling bus, trying to maintain her balance as the city moved past her like some blur of neon lights and speeding cars.

Raphael was sitting beside her, relaxed, as if this was just another ordinary night for him.

He had slung his duffel bag over his lap, one arm draped over the back of the seat next to him.

"Sigh…"

He watched her struggle with a small smirk on his face.

"You can sit, you know," he said. His voice held a small trace of laughter.

"I'm fine," Ines replied stiffly, adjusting her grip on the pole.

He smirked again. "Right. Because balancing on a moving bus is a life skill you've mastered."

Ines glared at him, but before she could respond, the bus jerked to a stop, causing her to stumble.

Raphael reached out instinctively; his hand caught her wrist to balance her.

His touch was warm, stable, and she felt a strange flutter in her chest.

"All right, sit before you break something," he said, tugging her gently into the seat next to him.

Ines sighed in frustration but obeyed.

"I don't usually take public transport," she muttered, crossing her arms.

"No kidding."

She turned to him, narrowing her eyes. "You never told me where we're going."

He leaned back against the seat, stretching his legs out in front of him. "My place."

Her eyes widened. "Your place?"

"Yeah. Unless you'd rather go back to Trevor or your penthouse, where he'll be waiting?"

She exhaled dramatically. "No. I just… I didn't think you had a place."

He raised an eyebrow. "What? You thought I lived on the streets?"

"I mean, you were carrying around a duffel bag like a drifter."

He chuckled.

"Fair point. But no, I have a place. You can stay there while you figure out what's next."

Ines didn't respond immediately.

The kindness in his offer unsettled her.

She had expected this arrangement to be transactional… her name, her wealth, her status—something he'd want in return for helping her escape.

But he hadn't asked for anything.

When the bus pulled to a stop again, Ines looked outside and frowned.

The streets were wide and lined with well-manicured hedges, some new luxury stores, and high-end restaurants.

The sidewalks under the streetlights, and the houses in the distance, looked like something out of a magazine.

"This is…" she trailed off. "Wait, where are we?"

Raphael stood up, grabbing his bag. "My stop."

She hesitated before following him out.

This area smelled clean, fresh. Everything looked expensive.

"You live here?" she asked, pausing a lot.

He nodded. "Yeah."

She stopped walking, folding her arms.

"And how exactly does someone who dresses like you afford to live in a place like this?"

Raphael turned to her, his lips twitching a little. "I'm in investments."

She gave him a suspicious look. "Investments?"

"Yeah. Real estate, stocks, some other things," he said with an easy shrug.

Ines didn't believe him.

Something about him felt too… rough for the pristine world of finance.

But she had no proof otherwise, so she let it go for now.

Instead, she focused on the more pressing question.

"If you're not after money, why did you agree to marry me?"

Raphael paused.

He could feel her eyes on him, demanding an answer.

But the truth… the real reason… was something he would never tell her.

So he lied.

"Because it sounded fun," he said with a smirk. "I figured, why not? I was bored."

She blinked. "Bored?"

"Yeah." He shoved his hands into his pockets.

"It's not every day a stranger asks you to marry them. I thought, why not see how this plays out?"

Ines stared at him in complete disbelief.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

He grinned. "Well, here we are, Mrs. Giovanni."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Unbelievable."

They walked in silence for a moment before he glanced at her.

"Now your turn. Why me? Didn't you have anything to lose?"

She stopped walking.

The streetlights above cast a glow on her face, highlighting the worry in her features.

She took a deep breath.

"My father used to hit my mother," she said quietly.

Raphael stiffened. He hadn't expected that.

She continued, wanting him to listen.

"He was always so careful to keep up appearances, always making sure no one ever found out. But I saw everything. When I was little, I used to hide in my closet and cover my ears so I wouldn't hear the screaming."

Raphael clenched his jaw.

"When I was nine, my mother finally got the courage to leave him. But the divorce took years. He dragged it out, made her suffer. He made sure she was financially ruined, took everything from her." Ines exhaled shakily.

"I—" Ines interrupted him.

"I was forced to stay with him. He kept me under his thumb, used me how he wanted. The only way I could ever see my mother freely was if I got married. Then, I'd finally be able to reach her without his control."

She looked up at Raphael, her green eyes full of something new—something extremely painful.

"That's why I did it. Not for money, not for power. I just wanted to be free."

Raphael didn't speak for a moment.

He knew what it was like to hate a man so much it consumed you.

To want nothing more than to escape.

But instead of saying that, he forced a smirk.

"Well, I guess that makes two of us, then. Two people running from something."

Ines gave a small, sad smile. "I guess so."

He nodded toward the large modern house in front of them.

"Come on. Let's get you inside."

She stared at the massive, luxurious home, still unsure what to make of Raphael Giovanni.

He wasn't what he seemed, but then again, neither was she.

"What on earth..?"