Page 55 of Pucked In Vegas

I take a deep breath.

"I love you, Cassie Hawthorne. And I don't care if it costs me everything I've worked for. Some things are worth the risk."

The silence in the room is deafening. A thousand eyes ping-pong between me, Cassie, and Big Mike.

"So what do you say, wife? Want to give this hockey player a real shot?"

The crowd holds its breath, a thousand people suspended in time as I stand there, heart in my hands, waiting.

Then… Cassie pushes through the crowd, her hair catching the spotlight as she weaves between executives and media. She's moving fast, determination in every step, the same way she commanded this event room today, the same way she commands every room.

She climbs the steps to the stage, and before I can process what's happening, she launches herself into my arms.

I catch her as her legs wrap around my waist.

"You're insane," she whispers against my lips, but there's something like wonder in her voice.

"Insane for you."

She rolls her eyes, but she's smiling.

"You just told the world you married Big Mike's daughter. You're crazy!"

I brush a strand of hair from her face, aware of every camera capturing this moment but somehow not caring at all.

"Correction. I told the world I married the only woman who ever made me feel like more than a jersey."

The crowd erupts in cheers and hollers. Someone wolf-whistles from the back. Through the chaos, I catch sight of Big Mike looking like he might need medical attention, his face cycling between shock and something that might be pride.

I don't know what this means for my place in the team, but right now, I don't fucking care.

Connor appears from nowhere, sliding a chair under Big Mike just as his knees buckle. Blake's appeared on stage, leading the room in a round of applause, holding my Iron Ridge Icehawks jersey up as the room erupts.

Cassie presses her forehead against mine, her blue eyes swimming with tears. It's a look of joy, of pure relief.

"I'm tired, Jax," she admits, her voice just for me. "Tired of pretending. Of running."

Her fingers thread through my hair as the cameras continue to flash around us.

"I've been miserable. And I think I finally figured out why."

Her thumbs trace my cheekbones, and I feel like I'm floating despite the weight of her in my arms.

"I spent so long being Big Mike's daughter that I forgot who Cassie was. I built this whole life trying to prove I wasn't just some hockey princess, but I ended up with nothing. No job. No home. Nothing. Nothing that felt real."

The microphone picks up every word, but she doesn't seem to care anymore. Her eyes never leave mine.

"Then I met this ridiculously hot guy by a pool, and for one night, I wasn't running. I wasn't planning. I wasn't calculating my next move. I was just... me."

My heart hammers against my ribs. "You were perfect."

"I was drunk," she corrects with a cute smirk I'll never tire of adoring. "But I was also…happy. For the first time in forever, I felt like I belonged exactly where I was."

I tighten my grip on her thighs, keeping her steady against me. "And where's that?"

"With you, you idiot," she says, her voice breaking. "Do you have any idea what you just did? What this means for your career?"

"I know exactly what it means." I reach for her hand, relieved when she doesn't pull away.Finally."It means I choose you. Over everything. Every time."

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