Chapter One: The Midnight Menu

Instead of panicking, she noted the ceiling camera, the hiding space beneath the counter, and the nearest fire extinguisher. “What opens the door?” Real interest appeared in Madam Wen's eyes. “A game.” She lifted a silver cover. On the plate sat a chocolate cookie, a dark brownie, and an iced cinnamon roll. The cookie was crisp at the edges and soft in the center, its melted chocolate like a pair of quiet eyes. The brownie was cut into a perfect square, gold leaf flashing sharply on top. The cinnamon roll smelled warmly of spice, its red-brown spiral resembling a wound that had never closed. “Kiss, marry, kill,” Madam Wen said. “One for each. No repeats. No abstaining.” “Childish.” “Choices usually are. Consequences rarely.”