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

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

would have kept him away. If your parents wouldn't have let

a

does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was required for

"True."

who

little. "I talk about

hug. How grateful I was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends.

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

at

overdue," I told her. "He

held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She

in the

that didn't matter to me, Mark would be throwing his whole life away with this. He can't

that," I 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.

blinked away the tears. She continued looking at the ring

want to see him,"

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

the ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my smile. When she saw

a personal matter, Prince Nicholas, as I've consistently said "Susie's father was saying. He cut himself off when Susie and I returned to the

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

the word overflowing with obvious

to Susie's parents, closer than

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

parents both

your daughter," Mark

don't know of her condition!" Susie's

quicker. She touched her

mine. And I would raise

can vouch for this man," Nicholas said. "He is my Beta