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."

doubled,

down in the sitting room with your parents," I said. Susie's

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

a little at

plan, as he always does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was required for this.

"True."

who I was..."

a little. "I talk about you often.

was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was so sweet and kind, she

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

at it and

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

inspect it.

awe covered her face, softening all of her features. Then, in the next, she began to cry again. "What's

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

"Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie, you can't let it get

blinked away the tears. She continued looking at the ring for another

to see

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

help my smile. When she saw it, she smiled too, though

father was saying. He cut himself off

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

he said, the word

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

deep bow. "Please allow

parents both

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

know of her

She touched her husband's

And I would raise it as my child,

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