I Dumped a Scumbag and Married A Boxer Star

Chapter 4: My Husband's House

Raphael's house was exactly what Ines expected a man's house to look like…

masculine, rugged, and with the scent of sweat and leather. 

The moment she stepped inside, she was greeted by a large boxing ring in the center of what should have been a living room. 

There were punching bags hanging from the ceiling, racks upon racks of boxing gloves, and weights scattered across the floor like forgotten toys.

 The walls were full of framed photos of fights, championship belts, and posters of famous boxers.

"This…is your house?" Ines raised an eyebrow as she turned to Raphael, who was setting down his duffel bag.

"Uh, technically," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Technically…?"

"It's my friend's place. He's on vacation, so I'm just, you know, watching over it."

Ines gave him a look, she was pretty skeptical. 

"Right. And I'm supposed to believe that?"

"Absolutely." He grinned, walking past her toward the kitchen, which was unsurprisingly devoid of any luxury items she was accustomed to. 

There were no chefs working around, no neatly arranged fruit bowls, no sparkling marble countertops. 

But, there was a single, barely-functioning coffee maker, a pile of protein bars, and a fridge stocked with bottled water and energy drinks.

"Wow," she muttered, looking around. "I guess your friend doesn't believe in maids or personal chefs?"

"Yeah, he's kind of a minimalist."

Ines crossed her arms. 

"A minimalist who happens to own championship belts and has a custom-built boxing ring in his living room?"

"Yep."

"Liar."

Raphael smirked. "Believe what you want, princess."

She rolled her eyes, deciding not to push further. 

So, she wandered through the space, taking in the details. 

There were gym clothes tossed over a chair, shelves lined with trophies and medals she didn't dare to look at closely. 

She wasn't in the mood to confirm what she already suspected—this was Raphael's house. 

But why was he hiding it?

After a few minutes, Raphael gestured for her to follow him upstairs. 

He led her down a hallway to a room with a massive bed, soft lighting, and huge curtains that blocked out the city skyline.

"This is your room," he said, stepping aside so she could enter.

Ines blinked. "Wait, I get this whole room to myself?"

"Yeah. Where else would you sleep?"

"I don't know, maybe the couch? Maybe in a basement full of rats? You're being suspiciously generous for someone who just married a complete stranger."

Raphael chuckled, leaning against the doorframe. 

"Trust me, princess, the last thing I need is you kicking me in your sleep. I'll take the other room."

Ines smirked, stepping into the room and letting her fingers trail over the soft bedding. 

"You really mean it? You're not gonna touch me?"

Raphael's face didn't even twitch as he shrugged. 

"Nope."

Ines pursed her lips before taking a step toward him. 

"Not even a little?"

"Nope."

She took another step, her green eyes looked playful. "Not even if I ask nicely?"

"Nope."

With a huhe grin, she ran her hands down the sides of her short white dress, subtly adjusting the fabric so that it hugged her curves even more. 

"Are you sure? Because, honestly, I'd be a little offended."

Raphael let out a dramatic sigh. "Ines—"

"I mean, look at me," she gestured at herself, lifting her head a little. "I'm gorgeous. People have literally fought over me."

"I know."

"And you don't even want to try?"

"Nope."

She placed a hand on her hip, pouting slightly. 

"You're either extremely noble or completely insane."

"Maybe both," he said, before pushing off the doorframe. 

"Hhhhmm…"

"Get some rest, princess. We'll figure things out tomorrow."

Ines watched as he walked out, shutting the door behind him without so much as a second glance.

She blinked. "What the hell just happened?"

Dropping onto the bed, she stared at the ceiling, annoyed and oddly…intrigued.

Maybe, just maybe, Raphael Giovanni was the biggest mystery she'd ever encountered.

On the edge of the bed, the plush mattress beneath her barely massaged her as she tried to process everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. 

The room Raphael had given her was spacious and unexpectedly cozy—minimalistic but comfortable, with warm lighting. 

The bed was big enough to swallow her whole, and for the first time in a long while, she felt like she had space to breathe.

She glanced around again, taking in the details she had ignored before. 

There was a closet that stood open, half-empty, like someone had packed up and left in a hurry. 

With a sigh, she finally turned to her handbag, which she had thrown onto the bed. 

Her fingers hesitated before unzipping it, knowing full well what she was about to do next could shatter the temporary calm she had found.

She pulled out her phone.

The screen lit up instantly, blinding in the low lit room.

23 missed calls. 17 unread messages.

Her heart clenched at the names staring back at her.

Her father. Trevor. A few from people she barely even spoke to—business acquaintances, so-called friends who thrived on scandal.

But it was the last message that made her breath catch in her throat.

-UNKNOWN: You think you're safe? Think again.-

Her pulse spiked.

The room, which had felt so safe just moments ago, suddenly felt smaller, darker, suffocating.

Her fingers hovered over the screen…

Who was this? Trevor? Her father? Someone else?

Before she could think, before she could breathe, another message appeared.

-UNKNOWN: Run all you want, little bride. You won't get far.-

A cold chill slithered down her spine.

Ines swallowed hard, her hold tightened on the phone.

Whatever escape she thought she had found with Raphael…whatever safety this house seemed to provide…was nothing more than a fake illusion.

And someone was watching her…