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."

of the ring in my pocket near doubled, and I regretted

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

have let him inside, he would have scaled the walls and climbed through your

a little

Nicholas had a plan, as he always does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was required for this. It is, after all, more likely they'd let

"True."

who I was..." I

a little. "I talk about you

How grateful I was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard

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

at it

told her. "He wants

ring from my palm and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her fingertips,

a moment, pure awe covered her face, softening all of her features. Then, in the next, she began to cry again. "What's the

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

worry about that," I told her. "Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie, you can't let it get away. You have to follow

She continued looking at the ring for another minute or two, before she

to see him," she

With Susie leading, we didn't need the

couldn't help my smile. When she saw

I've consistently said "Susie's father

*Susie..." her mom said.

her. Then his gaze dropped to

word overflowing with

to Susie's

dropping into a deep bow. "Please

both

with your daughter," Mark

of her condition!" Susie's

quicker. She touched her husband's arm. "He

"The baby is mine. And I would raise it as my child,

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