Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem

Chapter 1399

"I did a bit of digging into Punikon's family," I said, leaning back in my chair. "Turns out, his granddad was a legendary boxer-practically a household name back in

Thyania!"

"And both his dad and uncle? Former heavyweight champs themselves. Boxing runs in their blood. The whole family's been running a boxing gym for generations."

Emmett looked up at me, his brow furrowed with worry. "Dad, what if you can't beat him?"

I ruffled his hair, giving him a reassuring grin. "If I thought I couldn't, I wouldn't even bother, kiddo. Don't worry. On my way to drop you off at school, I already got the lowdown on Punikon's family. Your old man's not losing this one."

Punikon's granddad was a real legend—had a reputation that reached far beyond our borders.

But as for Punikon's dad? Not so much. The word is, the year he took the championship, it was all rigged behind the scenes.

I was sure of it-if it came down to me and him, I wouldn't lose.

Plus, I had my suspicions. Back in the day, Bernard went solo and swept through gyms across seven countries. Everyone said his next stop was Thyania.

But then, something happened. His wife and apprentice got into trouble, and Bernard had to go off the grid-faked his own death, disappeared without ever making it to Thyania.

Something about all that just didn't add up.

the big gyms in Thyania were panicked. Not a single fighter had

started getting cocky. Suddenly, they were making all this noise, telling the world Bernard was going to meet his end in Thyania. They boasted about

he won't be leaving,"

now, they're still bragging that Bernard got scared

you ask me, they only started

Thyanian boxing world must know what really happened back

wife and apprentice or not, they've got to know

came

the whole business

eighth-generation virus has

the old folks' story-I've kept that in the back of my mind, too. Why they all faked

is still a mystery. No

the thing: before each of them disappeared,

and kid, so I figured I owed it to them to help tie up some of those

was a fluke, but accepting this challenge? That

into the Punikon family as soon as I heard

learned they were Thyanian fighters,

"Don't worry about tonight's