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."

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

the sitting room with your

kept him away. If your parents wouldn't have let him inside, he

a

plan, as he always does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was required for this. It

"True."

knew who I was..."

"I talk about you often. You were my first

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

you this." I held my palm out with the ring sitting in the

at it

told her.

closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her fingertips, treating it as

all of her features. Then, in the

parents will never go for it," she said. "And even if they did. Or even if that didn't matter to me, Mark would be throwing his whole life away with this.

If this is what you want, Susie, you can't let it get away. You

the tears. She continued looking at the ring for another

want to see him," she

we didn't need the butler to guide us back downstairs to the

ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my smile.

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

his gaze dropped

said, the word overflowing with

forward, moving closer to Susie's parents, closer

said, dropping into a deep bow. "Please allow me

both

with your daughter," Mark

don't know of her

She touched her husband's

Mark confirmed. "The baby is mine. And I would raise it as my child, with Susie as

is my Beta and a loyal man besides. He