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

down in the sitting room with your parents," I

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

a little

before he did anything drastic. 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 me in to see you

"True."

who I was..."

talk about

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

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

looked at it and

I told her. "He

up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only

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

Or even if that didn't matter to

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

blinked away the tears. She continued looking at the ring for another minute or two, before she

to see him," she

headed for the doorway. With Susie leading, we didn't need the

couldn't help my smile. When she

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

Susie's eyes were on Mark, and his on her. Then his gaze dropped

he said, the word overflowing with obvious

to Susie's parents, closer than even Nicholas was

bow.

both went wide-eyed.

in love with your daughter," Mark

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

She touched her husband's

baby is mine. And I would raise it as my child, with Susie

"He is my Beta and a loyal man besides. He