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 holding it back even

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

If your parents wouldn't have let him inside, he

a little

as he always does, that his arrival at your door might open the

"True."

parents knew who I

"I talk about you often. You were

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

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

looked at it

I told her. "He wants

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

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

that didn't matter to me, Mark would be throwing his whole life away with

that," I told her. "Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie, you can't let it get

looking at the ring

see

the doorway. With Susie leading, we

couldn't help my smile. When she

consistently said "Susie's father

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

he said, the word overflowing with

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

bow. "Please

both went

in love with your daughter," Mark said. "I cannot live

her

was quicker. She touched

Mark confirmed. "The baby is mine. And I would

man," Nicholas said. "He is my