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."

in my pocket near doubled, and I regretted holding it back even

And Nicholas both. They are down in the sitting room with your parents,"

have let him inside, he would have scaled

a

anything drastic. Nicholas had a plan, as he always does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was required for this. It is,

"True."

knew who I was..." I

a little. "I talk about you often. You were my

much it hurt to hear

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

at it

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

plucked the ring from my palm and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She

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

will never go for it," she said. "And even if they did. Or even if that didn't matter to me,

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

She continued looking at the ring for another minute or two, before

to see him," she

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

ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my

father was saying. He cut himself off when Susie and I

*Susie..." her mom said.

Then his gaze dropped to her

the word overflowing with

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

bow. "Please allow me to marry

both went

am in love with your daughter," Mark said. "I cannot live without

her condition!"

was quicker. She touched her husband's arm. "He

baby is mine. And I would raise it as my

this man," Nicholas said. "He is my Beta