The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0622

The butler showed me to Susie's room, and then quickly excused himself outside of her door. When he was gone, I knocked.

"Go away!" Susie called in a watery voice. She was crying.

I knocked more insistently as I pushed open the door.

*I said -* she started, cutting herself off she say me. "Piper?"

"Hi, Susie," I said.

"Oh, Piper!" She was sitting at her desk, the tears running down her cheeks. As I entered the room, closing the door behind me, she jumped from the chair and ran to me.

We shared a hug. Relief flooded through me.

I stepped back after a moment, to look her over. She didn't seem too worse for wear. Other than the crying, she didn't show any signs of abuse or neglect.

"What are you doing here?" Susie sniffed. "I'm sure word has gotten around by now."

*Rumors don't matter. Come back to palace."

*If you've heard the rumors, you know why I can't."

"Everyone will forget, the moment you appear. They'll all just think it's gossip and it won't matter," I say. "Since Jessica is the only other contender for Joyce, you wouldn't even have to face elimination."

*Piper," she sounded so sad. "I can't come. It's just not rumors. My parents... They know the truth about me."

*How could they?" I asked. She wasn't showing yet. Sure they might suspect, but to have real proof?

"I told them," Susie said.

I startled, speechless.

"I didn't want to lie anymore about any of it," Susie said. "I don't want to have to pretend to have feelings for Joyce, when the only one I really want is Mark."

ring in my pocket near doubled, and I

in the sitting room with your parents," I said. Susie's eyes went wide as

your parents wouldn't have

laughed a little at

drastic. Nicholas had a plan, as he always does, that his arrival at your door might open

"True."

knew who

little. "I talk about you often. You

lurched and I pulled her into another hug. How grateful I was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was so sweet and kind, she deserved

the ring from my pocket. "Mark told me to give you this." I held my palm out with

looked at it and

told her. "He wants to

and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it

Then, in the next, she began to cry again. "What's the matter?" I

Or even if that didn't matter to me, Mark would be throwing his whole life away with

find a way to get it to work. If this is what you want,

blinked away the tears. She continued looking at the

see

With Susie leading, we didn't need the butler

Susie slid the ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my

personal matter, Prince Nicholas, as I've consistently said "Susie's father was saying. He cut himself off when Susie and I

*Susie..." her mom said.

eyes were on Mark, and his on her. Then his

word overflowing

to Susie's parents, closer

deep bow. "Please

both went wide-eyed.

your daughter," Mark said. "I cannot

her

mother was quicker. She touched

do," Mark confirmed. "The baby is mine. And I would raise

this man," Nicholas said. "He is my Beta and