Chapter 52
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
maddox
Sweat drips down my brow, my heartbeat pounding in time with the ball echoing against the hardwood.
The New York Werewolves’ shooting guard, Clay Duncan, launches a three. My gut twists as I watch it arc high.
If he sinks it, we’re finished. It would put New York in the lead by five points, and there’s no way we could catch up with only a few seconds left in the game. We would have to kiss the championship goodbye.
The ball clanks off the rim. Relief slams through me. Andrés quickly snatches the rebound and fires it to me.
I take off down the court, defenders closing in, my heart hammering in my throat. One chance. No time left.
I release the shot.
The ball rattles around the rim—once, twice—teasing, mocking. My jaw grinds against my mouth guard, eyes locked on the clock.
Then it drops. The buzzer sounds.
For a second, the world stops as I register what just happened.
We won. We fucking won. The championship is ours. Everything I’ve worked for has led to this very moment.
The entire arena erupts in deafening cheers as confetti rains down.
My teammates rush toward each other, delivering chest bumps and back slaps.
“Fuck yeah! We are the champions, baby!” Elijah shouts.
Gabriel Amato—owner of the San Francisco Dragons—smiles proudly as he comes out with the trophy.
He presses the golden trophy into my hands. I hoist it high, pride surging as the cameras flash.
This moment has been my dream since I was a kid. But it didn’t come easy. I think back to the sixth-grade boy who didn’t make the team. To the seventh-grader who sat on the bench, invisible. No matter how many times I failed, I never gave up.
My failures didn’t break me. They built me.
Every setback, every rejection, every early morning on the court has carved me into who I am today.
Standing here today, on the same court as the greats, with the trophy raised high, is proof that no dream is too far out of reach if you’re willing to keep fighting for it.
My family and Annalise push past the reporters, surrounding me in a whirlwind of hugs. My heart swells. This moment is theirs as much as it is mine.
“Congratulations, Masashi. You made history tonight. We are so proud of you.” Otōsan beams, his eyes shining with pride. He hasn’t missed a single game since we reconciled—not even the ones in New York.
Okāsan cups my cheek. “It feels like just yesterday I took you to your first game. And now… look at you. I am so happy for you, Masashi.”
“I guess you don’t suck after all,” Asami teases with a grin.
I raise my brows. “I was gonna offer to pay for your honeymoon, but I guess I should put that money elsewhere.”
“Masashi, you are the GOAT!” she says, her tone full of sarcasm.
I laugh, rolling my eyes.
Annalise steps forward, her smile radiating joy. “You were amazing out there, Dimples. I had no doubt you would win the championship. I’m so glad I was here to witness it.”
I thread my fingers through hers, holding tight. “Thank you for always believing in me—for inspiring me to chase this dream. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you by my side.”
Her eyes glisten with adoration. “You are phenomenal, Maddox. Your hard work and determination brought you here. I’ve never been prouder.”
“I may have won the championship, but having you in my life is the greatest prize of all.”
Lifting her chin, I capture her lips with mine, savoring the sweetness of this glorious moment.
The whole team, along with our friends and family, gathers at Blackout to celebrate our victory.
Drunk out of his mind, Elijah slings his arms over mine and Andrés’s shoulders, swaying as he belts out “We Are the Champions” by Queen.
We laugh and join in, soaking up the joy of this moment.
“Here’s to winning more championships! And to a lifetime of friendship!” I cheer, raising my glass of champagne.
We clink glasses and I take a sip of the bubbly liquid, the celebration fizzing through me just like the drink.
The last couple of months have been a relentless roller coaster, but it finally feels like the storm has passed.
My suspicions about Lucas buying his way into the NBA turned out to be true.
His father, Benjamin Hilton—one of the wealthiest men in San Francisco—paid our general manager, Gary Thompson, a hefty sum to secure Lucas a spot on the team.
But that wasn’t all. With Benjamin’s money, Lucas hired someone to follow me—the same person who hit Chandler with the car and bribed one of my flight attendants to install a hidden camera on board.
Now, the truth is out. Lucas and his father will be spending the rest of their pathetic lives behind bars.
As for Charlotte, she posted a public video admitting she’d tricked Annalise into thinking I cheated on her. My reputation’s finally been restored, and Annalise and I are back to being the it couple.
“So, I’ve got some news,” Andrés says, pulling his wife close with an arm around her waist. “Katie and I are expecting a baby.”
“Wow! I’m so happy for you two! Congratulations!” I say, hugging both of them.
“Congratulations, man!” Santiago beams. “There’s no greater joy than being a parent. Your life’s about to change in the best way.”
Andrés grins, pointing at me and Elijah. “Now you two need to hurry up, so all of our kids can have playdates.”
Elijah and I exchange a shared look of panic.
“Yeah… You’re on your own with that,” I say quickly. “I don’t plan on having any kids for a looong time.”
Annalise nods in agreement. “Yep. We plan on traveling as much as we can.”
I smile, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
“And seriously,” I add, grinning at Elijah, “you think he’s ready to be a dad? He can barely take care of himself.”
The group bursts into laughter.
“Man, fuck y’all. I would make a great dad,” Elijah protests, though he’s laughing too.
Santiago shakes his head, chuckling. “You watched Isaiah for one hour while I went to the dentist. One hour. When I came back, he’d eaten an entire box of Oreos. That was the first and last time I left you alone with my kid.”
Elijah shrugs, unbothered. “He’s a cute kid. I just couldn’t say no to him.”
We stayed at the club a couple more hours, drinking, laughing, and soaking it all in.
I snake my arm around Annalise’s waist and lean in, lowering my voice so only she can hear. “Wanna get out of here?”
She arches her brow. “You don’t wanna spend some more time with your friends?”
I shake my head. “Nah. I wanna spend some alone time with my girl.”
Blush warms her cheeks as her smile blooms. I take her hand, and together we slip out of the club and into the night.
I link my arm around Annalise, guiding her gently as we walk along the rugged shoreline, the waves crashing softly beside us.
As we approach the beach cove—our spot—a soft glow flickers inside, casting a golden light against the stone wall and cutting through the darkness of the night.
Annalise slows, her brows furrowing. “Did someone find our spot?” she asks, disappointment flickering in her voice.
I fight back a grin. “I hope not. Come on—let’s go tell them they’re trespassing.”
I jog ahead, and I hear her footsteps quickly follow behind.
“Maddox, wait!”
I reach the entrance to the cove and she tugs my arm, pulling me back. “Let’s just go home.”
But then she peeks around me and lets out a surprised gasp. “Oh… Maddox!”
The glow of candles dances across the cave walls, and rose petals are scattered in soft trails on the ground.
I turn to face her, taking both of her hands in mine while I stare into her eyes.
My voice trembles as I begin. “Annalise… Before I met you, I didn’t think true love existed.
” I swallow, blinking back the emotions surging inside.
“But you showed me what love really is. You changed how I see the world, and how I see myself. You’ve been my rock through everything.
You helped mold me into the man I am today. ”
Her eyes are already brimming with tears, her fingers trembling slightly in mine.
“I fall more in love with you every single day.” Tears cascade down my cheeks as I smile at her. “You are my past, my present, and my future. When I look into your eyes, I see forever.”
I reach into my pocket, pulling out the small velvet box. Her breath catches as I sink to one knee.
She covers her mouth as I open the box, the diamond ring glistening beneath the starlight, glowing with a promise.
“Our souls found their way back to each other,” I say, my heart pounding. “And I want to spend every single day proving just how much I love you.”
I smile up at her, eyes shining with everything I feel. “Annalise Rose Monroe, will you marry me?”
She chokes back a sob, her smile radiant through the tears. “Yes! A million times yes!”
With trembling hands, I slide the ring onto her finger. She throws her arms around me and our lips meet in a kiss—deep and full of promise.
Annalise isn’t just the love of my life. She is my game changer. The moment she walked into my life, everything shifted. With her, the world made sense in a way it never had before. In her, I found my soulmate, and the truest love I’ve ever known.