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

here, you know. Mark. And Nicholas both. They are down in the sitting room with your parents,"

wouldn't have let him inside, he would have

laughed a little at

able to stop him 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

"True."

parents knew who

blushed a little. "I talk about you often. You were my

her into another hug. How 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 sweet

me to give you this." I

looked at

it's overdue," I told her. "He wants

her, to inspect it. She touched it

all of her features. Then, in the next,

did. Or even if that didn't matter

a way to get it to work. If

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

to see him," she

With Susie leading, we didn't need

I couldn't help my smile. When she saw

as I've consistently said "Susie's father

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

word overflowing

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

Mark said, dropping into a deep bow. "Please allow me to marry your

both went wide-eyed.

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

don't know of her

She touched

mine. And I would raise it as my

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