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

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

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

a

arrival at your door might open the way. My presence

"True."

knew who I

little. "I talk about

how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was so sweet and kind, she deserved so many more than

told me to give you this." I held my palm out with

at

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

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

in the next, she began to cry again.

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

to work. If this is what you want, Susie, you can't let

the

want to see him," she

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

her finger. I couldn't help my smile.

I've consistently said "Susie's father was saying. He cut himself off when Susie and I returned to

*Susie..." her mom said.

Mark, and his on her. Then his gaze dropped to her hand,

he said, the word overflowing with obvious

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

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

parents both went wide-eyed.

love with your daughter," Mark said.

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

touched her husband's

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

for this man," Nicholas said. "He is my Beta and