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."

near doubled, and I regretted holding it back

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

have let him inside, he would have scaled the walls and climbed through your

laughed a little

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 see you than

"True."

knew who I was..." I

little. "I talk about you often.

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

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

looked at it

overdue," I told her. "He wants to

and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her fingertips, treating it as a

of her features. Then, in the next, she began

"And even if they did. Or even if that didn't matter to me, Mark would be

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

the tears. She continued looking at the ring for another minute or

want to see him,"

we both headed for the doorway. With Susie leading, we didn't need the butler to guide us back downstairs to

finger. I couldn't help

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

his gaze dropped to her hand, where she'd already put on

said, the word overflowing

moving closer to Susie's parents, closer than

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

both

your daughter," Mark said. "I cannot

don't know of her

She touched her husband's arm. "He

I would raise it as

said. "He is my Beta