Page 156 of Indulge
I carry it upstairs to the walk-in wardrobe, hanging it at the very back. As I turn to leave, a sliver of light catches my eye. Reggie’s office door, slightly open.
Weird. I didn’t know he’d been in here before we left.
Curiosity wins. It always does.
I step inside. Papers litter the desk like a storm passed through.
One page catches my attention:Decadence Games Proposal.
“What the hell…” I whisper, picking it up.
Each word makes my pulse race faster. Another sheet with women’s alias names and detailed descriptions.
A “game of survival.” In their chocolate factory.
And the prize? The winner becomes their submissive.
The room tilts. My heartbeat ricochets in my ears.
“What. The. Actual. Fuck.”
I drop the papers, stumbling back toward the hall. I head down the stairs like a storm. I need my phone, and I need those assholes to get back here to explain themselves.
“Bella, what’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Lily’s voice barely cuts through the ringing in my head. My throat is dry, bile rising.
“Have you heard of the Decadence Games?”
Her face falls.
“Tell me it’s a joke. Please.”
The sob rips through me before I can stop it. It’s more the fact they’d be doing this behind my back. That this is who they really are. I can stomach most things, but this?
Monsters? What makes them different from my ex?
Lily rushes forward, wrapping her arms around me, guiding me to the couch.
“Bella. I know it seems really, really horrible. But it’s not as bad as you think.”
I let out a choked laugh.
“Are they paying you to say this?”
“God no. My friend Hallie, she ended up in Conan’s games. It was a whole thing. I was like you, mortified. Then she explained.”
I blink, trying to process through the fog.
“Well, can you explain please? Before I lose my mind and smash this house up?”
Lily laughs, but she’s nervous I can tell.
“It’s all fabricated. It’s made out to look like a game of survival—it’s not real. I mean, the kinky part is, but the men don’t actually touch or hurt the women. It’s a front. They use it to find the families willing to sell off their wives or daughters. Once it’s done, the Quinns get the girls away from them, safe, and give them a new start. Dr. Quinn and his wife handle the ones responsible. It’s part of their deal to be here.”
I stare at her. “Okay. That’s… wild. And completely insane. Why make it kinky? What’s the point?”
She shrugs. I can tell she’s giving me the truth and I already feel less murderous.
