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 even

Nicholas both. They are 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

laughed a

he always does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was required for this. It is, after all, more likely they'd let

"True."

parents knew who

blushed a little. "I talk about you often. You were my first

I was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends.

me to give you this." I held my palm out with the ring sitting

at

I told her.

closer to her, to inspect

pure awe covered her face, softening all of her features. Then, in the next, she began to cry again. "What's the

if that didn't matter to me, Mark would be throwing his whole

about that," I told her. "Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If this

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

want to see him,"

nodded and we both headed for the doorway. With Susie leading, we didn't

help my smile.

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

word

stepped forward, moving closer to Susie's

deep bow. "Please allow me

parents both

daughter," Mark said. "I

her condition!" Susie's father

quicker. She touched her husband's arm.

is mine. And I would raise it as my child,

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