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."

doubled, and I regretted holding it back even this

sitting room with your parents," I said. Susie's eyes went wide as

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

laughed a little at

as he always does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence

"True."

who

little. "I talk about you often. You were

was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt to

pocket. "Mark told me to give you this." I held

looked at it and

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

held it up closer to her, to inspect

of her features. Then, in the next, she

matter to me, Mark would be throwing his whole life away with this. He

told her. "Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie, you can't let it get away. You have to

She continued looking at the

to see him," she

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

the way, Susie slid the ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my smile. When she saw it, she smiled too, though hers was

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

were on Mark, and his on her. Then his gaze dropped to her hand, where she'd already

the word

stepped forward, moving closer to Susie's parents, closer than

into a deep bow.

both went wide-eyed.

with your daughter," Mark said. "I

of her

quicker. She touched her

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

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