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, and I regretted

They are down in the sitting room with your

your parents wouldn't have let

laughed a little

Nicholas had a plan, as he always does, that his arrival at your door

"True."

parents knew who

about you often.

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

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

at it

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

from my palm and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only

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

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

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

looking at the ring for

see

With Susie leading, we

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

father was saying. He cut himself off

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

said, the word overflowing with

stepped forward, moving closer to Susie's parents, closer than

a deep bow. "Please allow me to marry your

both went wide-eyed.

am in love with your daughter," Mark said.

of her condition!" Susie's father

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

baby is mine. And I would

can vouch for this man," Nicholas said. "He is my Beta and a loyal man besides. He will