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."

my pocket near doubled, and I regretted holding it back

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

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

laughed a little at

door might

"True."

knew who

little. "I talk about you often.

lurched and I pulled her into another hug. How grateful I was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such

give you this."

looked at it

her.

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

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

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

her. "Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie, you

tears. She continued looking at the ring for another minute or two, before

see

leading, we

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

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

the word overflowing with

stepped forward, moving closer to Susie's

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

both went wide-eyed.

love with your daughter," Mark said. "I

know of her condition!" Susie's father

She touched her husband's arm. "He

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

said. "He is my Beta