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."

the ring in my pocket near doubled, and I

in the sitting room with your parents,"

your parents wouldn't have let him inside, he would have scaled the

laughed a little at

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,

"True."

knew who I

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

life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was so sweet and kind, she deserved so many more than

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

at it

overdue," I told her. "He

plucked the ring from my palm and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her fingertips, treating it as a

Then, in

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

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

at the ring for another minute or two, before she

see him," she

With Susie leading, we didn't need the butler to guide us back downstairs to

onto her finger. I couldn't help my smile. When she saw it, she smiled

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

said, the word overflowing

moving closer to Susie's parents, closer

into a deep bow. "Please allow

parents both went wide-eyed.

am in love with your daughter,"

her condition!" Susie's father

touched her husband's

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

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