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."

in my pocket near doubled, and I regretted

are down in the sitting room with your parents," I said. Susie's eyes

kept him away. If your parents wouldn't have let him inside, he would have scaled the walls and climbed

laughed a

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

"True."

parents knew who I was..."

a little. "I talk about

Though how much it hurt to hear she

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

at it

overdue," I told her. "He wants to ask you

from my palm and held it up closer to her, to inspect it.

of her features. Then, in the next, she began to

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

If this is what you

away the tears. She continued looking at the

want to see

and we both headed for the doorway. With Susie leading, we didn't need the butler to guide

the way, Susie slid the ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my smile. When she saw

a personal matter, Prince Nicholas, as I've consistently said "Susie's father

*Susie..." her mom said.

his on her. Then his gaze dropped to her hand, where she'd already put on

the word overflowing with

Susie's

dropping into a deep bow. "Please allow me to

parents both went wide-eyed.

am in love with your daughter," Mark said. "I cannot

don't know of her condition!" Susie's

mother was quicker. She touched

And I would raise

is my Beta