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."

ring in my pocket near doubled, and I regretted holding it

Nicholas both. They are down in the sitting room with your parents," I said. Susie's eyes went wide as saucers. "Mark

have let him inside, he would have scaled the walls

laughed a little at

anything drastic. Nicholas had a plan, as he always does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was required

"True."

knew who

little. "I talk about you

be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was so sweet and

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

at

told her.

to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her fingertips, treating it

moment, pure awe covered her face, softening all of her features. Then, in the next, she

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

I told her. "Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If this is

at the ring for another minute or two, before she

want to see him,"

for the doorway. With Susie leading, 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

*Susie..." her mom said.

her. Then his gaze dropped

the word overflowing with

closer to Susie's parents, closer than

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

parents both went

with your daughter," Mark said. "I cannot

of her

was quicker. She touched her

I would raise it as my child, with Susie

this man," Nicholas said. "He is my