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."

of the ring in my pocket near doubled, and I

sitting room

think anything would have kept him away. If your parents wouldn't have let him inside, he would have scaled the walls and climbed through

a

arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was required for this.

"True."

knew who I was..." I

about you often.

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

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

looked at it and

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

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

softening all of her features. Then, in the next, she began to cry again.

even if that didn't matter to me, Mark would be throwing his whole life

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 follow your

looking at the ring for another minute or

see

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

Susie slid the ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my smile. When she saw it,

personal matter, Prince Nicholas, as I've consistently said "Susie's father was saying. He cut himself off when Susie and

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

he said, the word overflowing with obvious

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

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

both went

with your daughter," Mark said. "I cannot live without

know of her condition!"

touched

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

"He is my Beta and a loyal