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."

my pocket near doubled, and I

you know. Mark. And Nicholas both. They are down in the sitting room with your parents," I said. Susie's eyes

parents wouldn't have let him inside, he would have scaled the walls

laughed a little

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 me in to see you than some

"True."

knew who

talk about

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

the ring from my pocket. "Mark told me to give you this." I

at it

overdue," I told her. "He wants

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

Then, in the next, she began to

it," she said. "And even if they did. Or even if that didn't matter to

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

tears. She continued looking at the ring

to see him," she

we didn't need the butler to guide us

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

father was saying. He cut himself off when Susie and I returned to

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

he said, the word overflowing

closer to Susie's parents, closer than even Nicholas was

dropping into a deep bow. "Please allow me to marry

both

in love with your daughter," Mark said. "I

don't know of her condition!"

touched her husband's arm. "He

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

said. "He is my Beta and a loyal man