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."

ring in my pocket near doubled, and I regretted

down in the sitting room with your parents," I said.

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

laughed a

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

"True."

knew who I

a little. "I talk about

her into another hug. How grateful I was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was so sweet and kind, she deserved

"Mark told me to give you this." I held my

at it

I told her.

ring from my palm and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her fingertips, treating it as a precious,

her features. Then, in the next, she began to cry

if they did. Or even if that didn't matter to me, Mark would be throwing his whole

work. If

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

to see

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

ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my smile. When

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

said, the word overflowing with

moving closer to Susie's parents, closer than

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

both went

in love with your daughter," Mark said.

her condition!" Susie's father

She touched her husband's arm.

would raise it as my child, with Susie

Nicholas said. "He is my Beta and a loyal man besides. He will treat