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."

pocket near doubled, and

room with your parents," I said. Susie's eyes

have let him inside, he would have scaled the walls

a

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

"True."

knew who I was..." I

talk about you often. You were my

hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was so sweet and kind, she deserved so many

tug the ring from my pocket. "Mark told me to give you this." I held my palm out with the ring sitting in the

looked at it and

told her. "He wants to

closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with

in the next, she began to cry again. "What's the matter?"

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

a way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie, you can't let it get away. You

looking at the

to see

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

I couldn't help my smile. When she saw

matter, Prince Nicholas, as I've consistently said "Susie's father was saying. He cut himself off when

*Susie..." her mom said.

his gaze dropped to her hand, where

word overflowing

closer to Susie's parents, closer than even Nicholas was

bow. "Please allow

parents both went

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

don't know of her

touched her

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

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