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

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

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

laughed a little 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 some strange

"True."

who

a little. "I talk about you often. You

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. She was so

me to give you this."

at it and

says it's overdue," I told her.

palm and held it up closer to her, to inspect it.

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

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

about that," I told her. "Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If

looking at the ring for another minute or two, before she

see

leading, we didn't need the butler to guide

slid the ring onto her finger. I couldn't help

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

word overflowing with obvious

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

into a deep bow. "Please allow

both went wide-eyed.

daughter," Mark said. "I

of her condition!" Susie's

She touched

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

"He is my Beta and a loyal man besides. He will