I Dumped a Scumbag and Married A Boxer Star-Chapter 14: Searching For Ines

Chapter 14: Searching For Ines

"Damn it! It's freezing!" Ines brushed her hands so many times against her skin, shielding herself from the cold.

The cold night air bit at her exposed skin as she walked through the low lit alleyways.

The night weather showed Ines no mercy.

Her heels clicked against the cracked sidewalk, each step was with an echo of her goal not to turn back.

She had nowhere to go, no phone to call anyone, and no money to her name, but she refused to crawl back to her father or Camila.

She scoffed bitterly.

They'd love that.

They were probably waiting for her to come running, begging for their help.

But she wouldn't...She couldn't.

Her father had done everything he could to break her, but she still had her pride.

Even if it meant spending the night on the streets, it was better than crawling back to Diego Jackson's control.

Her battery had died an hour ago, leaving her completely cut off.

She had tried calling old friends for a place to stay, but one by one, they had turned her down.

Excuses had poured in like a broken faucet:

"I'm not home right now."

"My family is visiting, sorry."

"You know how things are with your dad..."

That one had stung the most.

It wasn't just that her father had power—it was that people were terrified of crossing him.

Even now, he still had a grip on her life, even when she had done everything in her power to escape it.

As she passed a closed bakery, she hugged herself, trying to preserve warmth.

She had ditched Raphael's hoodie before she left, another act of pride.

He had given her that hoodie, and she didn't want anything from him either.

Just as she was thinking of where she could sit and wait for morning, somewhere safe, Raphael stormed into his house, shoulders tense, fingers running through his dark hair.

His eyes immediately caught the letter on the kitchen counter, the hastily torn page barely clinging to the surface.

"Thanks for the wedding, we can call it off. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

He stared at it, jaw tightened immediately. Then, his eyee fell to the ground—where his hoodie lay in shreds.

"Damn it," he muttered, realising exactly what she had done.

Ines had left without anything.

No money, no jacket, and no plan.

"Damn you, Ines!"

Raphael cursed under his breath, snatching his phone from the counter and immediately dialing a number.

"Hey, have you seen Ines?" he asked as soon as his friend picked up. "She left."

"What do you mean 'left'?" his friend, Marco, asked.

"She just walked out," Raphael replied, his tone was edged with something he didn't want to name.

"She has nowhere to go."

"Shit," Marco muttered. "I'll call around. Maybe someone saw her."

"Thanks," Raphael said before hanging up.

He wasn't sure what was driving him to act this way, but the image of her wandering alone in the streets in that damn wedding dress, vulnerable and stubborn, didn't sit right with him.

Another call. Another person was recruited.

Soon, all his friends were looking. But he knew that wasn't enough. He needed to find her.

Himself...

He grabbed his keys and stormed out into the night.

>__<

Ines was exhausted, physically and mentally.

Her pride refused to let her go back to Raphael, to her father, or even to Camila.

She had no one. But still, she refused to break.

*Ggggrrqww* Her stomach was empty, and now, as she turned a corner, she realised she had wandered into the worst possible place.

A group of men, huddled near a dumpster, turned their heads toward her.

Their clothes were tattered, eyes sunken and filled with something unhinged.

The smell hit her first—a rancid mix of alcohol, sweat, and decay.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" one of them sneered, stepping forward.

His yellowed teeth flashed under the streetlight.

Ines held her head high. "Just passing through," she said, forcing confidence into her voice.

Another man chuckled. "Dressed like that? You look lost, sweetheart. Maybe we can help you out."

Her heart pounded. Every instinct screamed for her to run, but she knew better.

Running would only make it worse.

"I don't need help," she said, stepping back.

The first man, the one with the greasy hair and torn leather jacket, tilted his head.

"That's a shame. 'Cause we were thinkin' we could keep ya company tonight."

The others laughed, closing in.

Ines swallowed, her hands trembling at her sides. She had never felt this vulnerable. Never in her life.

One of them reached for her.

She slapped his hand away. "Touch me, and I swear—"

Before she could finish, he grabbed her wrist, yanking her forward. Panic shot through her veins like ice.

"Let go!" She screamed.

But before the echo of her cry could fade into the night, a roar of an engine filled the alley.

Headlights flashed, blinding the men. Tires screeched as a sleek black car came to a halt just feet away.

Raphael was out of the car before the engine cut off, his aura swallowed the alley whole.

His eyebrows were furrowed and his body tense like a predator ready to strike.

"Let. Her. Go." His voice was lowered.

The man holding Ines's wrist hesitated. "This your girl?"

Raphael took a step forward. "You touch her again, and I swear you'll regret ever being born."

Another man scoffed. "Tough guy, huh?" He pulled out a knife.

Raphael barely flinched. "You think that's gonna help you?"

Ines had never seen him like this. There was no arrogance, no smugness—just cold, lethal rage.

The men sized him up, but something in his stance must have made them think twice.

"Let's get outta here," one of them muttered. "Not worth it."

The grip on Ines loosened, and she stumbled back.

Raphael caught her before she could hit the ground.

The gang disappeared into the night.

Raphael didn't let go of her.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he growled, his voice was shaking.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

"Walking alone in this part of the city, in that dress? Do you have a death wish?"

She pulled away from him. "I don't need you to save me."

His jaw clenched. "You could've been killed. Or worse."

"Why do you care?" she replied back, cracking.

Something traveled through his shoulders. He didn't answer.

Instead, he grabbed her wrist—gently this time—and pulled her toward the car.

"Get in."

She hesitated.

"Now, Ines."

She climbed into the passenger seat, and Raphael shut the door before rounding to the driver's side.

Finally, Raphael broke the silence. "You left me a note."

She glanced at him.

"We can call it off?" he repeated. "What did you think, that I'd just let you disappear?"

She bit her lip. "You don't own me, Raphael."

"No, I don't. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna let you throw yourself into danger just because you're mad at me."

She looked away. "You were talking about my father. Planning something. I heard you."

His grip on the wheel tightened, but he didn't answer.

"What are you hiding?" she pressed.

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Bullshit."

"You're too privileged to care, Ines." His lips twitched, but there was no humor. "You don't trust me?"

She crossed her arms. "Do you trust me?"

A pause.

Then, he said, "No."

The word stung more than she expected.

"I want to divorce you."