The Open Novella Contest is back for 2026! Join fellow storytellers and plant the seed of a tale that will blossom into a 20,000+ word novella within 12 weeks! Your epic quest begins February 1st, 2026, so mark your calendars with this date!

A slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance with a contract, a deadline, and a history neither of them can forget. Nora Bennett was born into a world of prestige and polished futures-until her father lost everything. Now a broke law student barely clinging to her scholarship, Nora's last hope is the inheritance left by her late grandmother. The catch? She only gets the money if she's married by her twenty-sixth birthday. Weston Hale is everything Nora isn't anymore: wealthy, powerful, and still disgustingly charming. Once her prep school rival, now a rising tech mogul, Weston needs to clean up his image for the boardroom-fast. A fake marriage would benefit them both. The contract is simple: one year, no feelings, no complications. The reality? Anything but. As their public charade spirals into late-night fights, stolen glances, and a kiss that changes everything, Nora begins to wonder what's real beneath the performance-and what's left of the boy she once knew. In a world of secrets, tabloids, and high-stakes appearances, falling for Weston Hale might be the riskiest clause of all.