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, and I regretted holding

sitting room

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

laughed a little

at your door might open the way. My presence was required for this. It is, after all, more likely they'd

"True."

knew who

about you often. You were my first

how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard

give you

at it

told her. "He

held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her

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

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

told her. "Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie, you can't let it get away. You have to follow

looking at the ring for another minute

to see him,"

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

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

is a personal matter, Prince Nicholas, as I've consistently said "Susie's father was saying.

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

word overflowing with

to Susie's parents, closer than

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

both

in love with your daughter,"

her condition!" Susie's

quicker. She touched her husband's

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

is my Beta and