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."

of the ring in my pocket near doubled,

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

have let

a little at

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

"True."

who I was..." I

"I talk about you often.

Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was so

told me to give you this." I held my

looked at it

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

to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her fingertips, treating it as

pure awe covered her face, softening all of her features. Then, in the next,

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 Beta

will find a way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie, you

the ring for another minute or two,

to see him,"

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

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

consistently said "Susie's father was saying.

*Susie..." her mom said.

her. Then his gaze dropped to

the word overflowing with

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

Mark said, dropping into a deep bow. "Please allow

both went

in love with your daughter," Mark said. "I

her condition!" Susie's father

She touched her husband's arm. "He

mine. And I would raise it as my child, with Susie

man," Nicholas said. "He is my Beta