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 regretted

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

anything would have kept him away. If your parents wouldn't have

laughed a

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 to see you than some strange

"True."

knew who

little. "I talk about you often. You

it hurt to

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

looked at it and

told her. "He wants to ask you

up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her fingertips, treating it as a precious, rare,

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

go for it," she said. "And even if they did. Or even if that didn't matter to me, Mark would be throwing his whole life away with

way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie, you can't let it get away. You have to

the tears. She continued looking at the ring for another

to see him," she

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

ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my smile. When she saw it, she smiled too, though

said "Susie's father was

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

word overflowing with

forward, moving closer to Susie's parents,

deep bow. "Please

parents both went

love with your daughter,"

know of her condition!" Susie's father

She touched

would raise it as my child, with Susie as

"He is my Beta