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."

ring in my pocket near doubled, and

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

would have kept him away. If your parents wouldn't have let him inside, he would have scaled the walls

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, more likely they'd let me in to

"True."

parents knew who

little. "I talk about

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

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

at it and

told her. "He wants to ask you

plucked the ring from my palm and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched

softening all of her features. Then, in the next, she began to cry

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

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

blinked away the tears. She continued looking at the ring for another minute or two,

want to see

for the doorway. With Susie leading, we didn't need the butler

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

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

were on Mark, and his on her. Then his gaze dropped to

word overflowing with

Susie's parents, closer than even Nicholas

dropping into a deep bow. "Please allow me

parents both

daughter," Mark

know of her condition!" Susie's

She touched her husband's arm.

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

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