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

here, you know. Mark. And Nicholas both. They are down in the sitting room with your parents," I said. Susie's eyes went wide as saucers. "Mark

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

a

stop him before he did anything drastic. Nicholas had a plan, as 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 me in to see

"True."

knew who

blushed a little. "I talk about you often.

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

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

at it and

it's overdue," I told her.

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

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

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

work. If this is what you

looking at the

see him,"

leading, we

onto her finger. I couldn't help

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

word

to Susie's parents,

dropping into a deep bow. "Please allow

both

with your daughter," Mark

don't know of her condition!"

was quicker. She touched her husband's arm.

confirmed. "The baby is mine. And I would raise it as my child, with

my Beta and a loyal man besides. He will treat your