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

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

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

laughed a little at

before he did anything drastic. Nicholas had a plan, as he always does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was

"True."

knew who I was..." I

about you often. You

was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was so sweet and kind, she deserved

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

at it and

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

it up closer to her, to inspect it. She

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

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

get it to work. If this is

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

want to see

Susie leading, we didn't need

I couldn't help my

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

*Susie..." her mom said.

Susie's eyes were on Mark, and his on her. Then his gaze dropped to

word overflowing with obvious

to Susie's parents, closer than even

a deep bow. "Please allow me

parents both went wide-eyed.

love with your daughter,"

know of her condition!" Susie's father

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

do," Mark confirmed. "The baby is mine. And I would

said. "He is my Beta and a loyal man