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."

the ring in my pocket near doubled,

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

anything would have kept him away. If your parents wouldn't have let him inside, he

a little at

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

"True."

parents knew who I was..." I

little. "I talk about you often. You

her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a

pocket. "Mark told me to give you this." I

looked at it and

it's overdue," I told her.

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

softening all of her features. Then, in the next,

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

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

She continued looking at the ring for another

to see

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

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

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

his on her. Then his gaze dropped

said, the word overflowing with

to Susie's parents, closer than even

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

both went

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

know of her

was quicker. She touched her husband's arm. "He

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

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