He was sent to rescue her. Not to care. Not to stay. Definitely not to fall. Leonardo Nico Russo doesn't do mercy. As the youngest heir of one of Europe's most feared crime families, he solves problems with precision-and leaves no loose ends behind. Until April Holloway. April Holloway. Missing. Caught in the shadows of human trafficking. What begins as a mission turns into something neither of them expected. Pulled from violence and fear, April finds herself in the arms of a man built from danger and silence. And Leonardo-who has spent his life commanding chaos-discovers that some souls don't arrive loudly. They arrive quietly. They leave footprints on your heart. Set against a world of power, bloodlines, and hidden wars, 'In His Arms' is a mafia romance about rescue, resilience, and the fragile connection between two souls-where protection becomes devotion, and survival slowly turns into love. Because sometimes, the person who saves you... is the one who changes you forever. Author's Note Hello, lovely readers! This is my first time participating in the Open Novella Contest, and I couldn't be more excited (and terrified 😅). ONC Prompt #29 (Excerpt) - Some people leave footprints on your heart. 'In His Arms' is unfolding in between lesson plans, late nights, and stolen moments of quiet-because by day, I'm a teacher, and by heart, I'm a storyteller. This story grew during coffee breaks, after-school exhaustion, and those magical midnight hours when the world sleeps and characters start talking. The story begins inside Leonardo's world-his missions, his shadows, his dangerous precision. The first few chapters unfold entirely from his perspective, focusing on the rescue and the life he inhabits. April's voice enters later-three years after their paths first cross-when she is older, stronger, and finally ready to tell her side of the story. Thank you for giving this story a chance. And welcome to my ONC journey. 🤍 With love, Thiya J

The 2026 Watty Awards celebrate Wattpad's storytellers and the readers who champion them. Whether you're aiming for a Grand Prize win or looking to join a reading event, this guide is your essential toolkit for success.

Nakeeta has spent her entire life training to enter the healer division of the army, but when initiation day comes around, she is assigned to the hunters; an elite group of fighters that are gifted the ability to shapeshift in order to fight the spreading corruption. Left with no other choice, Nakeeta must either adapt, or die. This is an entry for #ONC2026.

All that once glittered was gold, until it turned to bitter ash and ruin. Juliette Laurant has always dreamed of a simple life, painting to her heart's content while being unbothered by men and women alike. She gains her wish, to paint in a way that is envied by all who see it, but at the cost of her life's work, and the sudden arrival of a stranger whose only desire is to be seen once more. Now, trapped by the hands of fate, she must find a way to put an end to the stranger's cycle of despair or discover what awaits her at the end of life's final portrait ~*~*~*~*~*~*~

🏅 ONC 2026 ROUND 2 QUALIFIER Some loves are written in the stars. Theirs was woven into the fabric of reality. In a world that seems perfect-Theo and Lyra live parallel lives marked by quiet, growing dissatisfaction and a longing neither of them can name. Everything feels wrong. They have the wrong careers. The wrong rhythms. As though they are the wrong versions of themselves. And yet, somewhere beneath the dull drums of their days, something pulses. A thread. Invisible. Unbreakable. Pulling. Theirs. As chance encounters begin to feel like destiny and dreams echo with impossible familiarity, they are drawn toward each other. But love is not always simple, and fate is not always kind. Some paths must be forged in fire. Some connections must be earned. Because in the vast and delicate weave of existence, even a single thread can change everything.

They made a contract to die together on April 1, but nobody warned them about the pancakes, the paint-stained hands, or the terrifying possibility that breakfast might be worth living for. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘈 𝘔𝘈𝘕 𝘊𝘈𝘓𝘓𝘌𝘋 𝘖𝘝𝘌 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘕𝘖𝘙𝘔𝘈𝘓 𝘗𝘌𝘖𝘗𝘓𝘌 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘕 𝘏𝘜𝘚𝘉𝘈𝘕𝘋𝘚 𝘖𝘍 𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘓𝘠𝘕 𝘏𝘜𝘎𝘖, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳.

In Beijing's gilded elite, Emma Walker, heiress to the formidable Walker Group (global investments, covert intelligence), and Lily Zhu, brilliant scion of the allied Zhu Corporation (AI, cybernetics), are destined for power. But their world shatters under Professor Meng. Veiled in mystery, and scarred by the devastating personal tragedy of the "Dragonfly Breach," Meng is no ordinary academic. He's a master strategist, a puppet master, and his law seminar isn't just a class; it's a brutal proving ground, a recruitment drive for a shadow war where legal boundaries bleed into covert operations. For the select few, his private tuition offers a glimpse into a world far beyond textbooks-a world where the lines between professor and operative blur. As Emma and Lily's families-and Michael, Emma's sharp-witted brother-uncover a coordinated economic counter-offensive, the duo forms a strategic alliance. Their partnership is immediately tested by the arrival of Valeria Shaw, heiress to the critical resource empire, Shaw Industries, whose elusive sister, Anya, whispers of a top operative. With a shared apartment needing a third, and strategic alliances blurring into personal rivalries, they navigate a world where loyalty is fluid and ambition knows no bounds. Whose war are they fighting? Can they outmaneuver a mentor driven by personal vengeance, outwit their rivals, and carve their own future in a game where algorithms, assets, and audacious ambition are the deadliest weapons? ---

Mallory has a mission, a purpose, an end in sight. She doesn't need fun or distractions. She's driven and focused to the point of inattention to any and all things going on around her. And that's how it happens. One moment she's checking her mail before heading to her last class of the day, and the next she's staring at the remains of her emotional support coffee all over her shirt, the floor, and the handsome neighbor she's never even noticed until today. His presence in her life is a nuisance and the absolute last thing she would have wanted, but maybe, just maybe, he might be something she needed. __________ Open Novella Contest (ONC2026), prompt 19: when you accidentally spill coffee on someone, the moment that should've ruined your day becomes the beginning of a surprising and life changing friendship. I told myself I wasn't going to do it, I wasn't going to attempt two novellas at once when I have so many other things started. But clearly the muse is strong and the will is weak.

Lena Harris doesn't do messy. She deals in information and observations, small gaps and mistakes that can be leveraged to make problems go away. She gets her jobs done quickly, cleanly, and efficiently, and then she moves on, never dwelling on the past or worrying about anything beyond the next operation. And that's the way she likes it. Until her boss assigns her to the messiest operation she's ever faced. Now her carefully built up professional distance is collapsing around her, and she doesn't know how to hold it up- or if she even wants to anymore. __________ Open Novella Contest (ONC2026), prompt 33: It doesn't take long before everything in your life spins out of control. One moment you're a secret assassin, and the next you've somehow been hired as a nanny and you're not entirely sure how it happened.

When Brie lands a spot on Cheese Whiz, a cheese-themed cooking competition, the last thing she expects is to run into Colby Jackson, the man who left her heart with more holes than Swiss cheese. ~~~ It was supposed to be simple. Enter the contest, win the prize money, open her own restaurant. Easy peasy, extra cheesy. So of course Colby freaking Jackson and his smug, entirely too sexy face just had to come back into Brie's life like an extra stinky wheel of limburger cheese. Surrounded by fierce competitors and legendary amounts of dairy, Brie and Colby exchange barbs sharper than any cheddar. Yet, as the competition heats up, Brie quickly discovers the mozzarella isn't the only thing melting. Against her better judgment, Colby is once again worming his way into her heart. Will Brie find a whey to make things work between them, or will he leave her feeling bleu? 🧀 Rivals to lovers 🧀 Second chance romance 🧀 All puns are fully intended Using prompts 29 and 89 for ONC 2026! Cover by @-DeeIsDead-