A covert government operative sent to surveil a famous footballer accidentally becomes the nanny to his six-year-old son, forcing her to choose between completing the mission that could destroy him or protecting the unexpected family she has begun to love. ◈ ◈ ◈ Grace Anna Sumer has always craved freedom. That hunger is what led her into the shadows, working as a covert field operative for a little-known government agency. Officially, she gathers intelligence. Unofficially, she removes problems. Pulled from a coveted assignment in the Congo, Grace is reassigned to Paris to surveil the family of Hermes Mansi, an international football (soccer) star whose career is tightly controlled by a powerful and corrupt league that profits from obedience. Grace is told to watch him. To observe. To wait. What she does not expect is a twist of fate that places her inside his home, hired accidentally as the nanny to his six-year-old son, Drax. Under the safest cover imaginable, Grace enters Hermes' life with one objective, gather evidence and prepare for a quiet takedown. But the longer she stays, the harder it becomes to remember where the mission ends and her feelings begin. As secrets unravel and loyalties fracture, Grace must choose between completing her assignment or protecting the fragile and unexpected family she has found. ◈ ◈ ◈ This novella was written for the Open Novella Contest 2026, based on 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."

33. It doesn't take long before everything 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. Ambrosia Lancer is the most diverse-not best- lady assassin in their city, wielding poison and hatpins alike, but most her "kills" are the warning cards that assassins leave behind the first time they're contracted. Many, in case they're caught, pretend they're giving the warning instead of a true attempt. While it is customary, the higher the target, the less they observe rules that don't benefit them. This situation fits Duke Liesterpier's temper so well that Ambrosia's handlers should warn her not to take his case? Somebody failed in their research, and it's up to Ambrosia to strike a deal with this temperamental man before he abuses his rights as a nobleman.

After a mission goes catastrophically wrong, veteran operative Arin is reassigned to an unexpected role: live-in nanny for the child of an influential family whose wealth buys privacy and silence. The house is immaculate, the parents distant, and the security far too thorough for comfort. As Arin adjusts to a cover that feels more like confinement, he becomes aware of subtle irregularities. Inside a home that should be the safest place in the city, Arin begins to suspect that he is not the one doing the watching.

Briar Black isn't used to the domestic life. She's used to guns, violence, and ruthlessness. But after meeting Léna, the most beautiful woman she's ever laid her eyes on, she picked up the most unexpected job for a woman in her profession: being a nanny to a feisty little girl whose gorgeous mother is running a mysterious business. It's funny how life turns out, isn't it? Briar has no idea how she got here, but she is slowly learning to enjoy the ride. Unicorn stickers, keeping her other life a secret, tantrums, more secrets and romantic tension with her new boss, and all. ...Wait, what was that last bit?

For Centuries Grim has been collecting souls. It's what he does, it's his purpose. One day, while collecting a soul in the park, he comes across a lost puppy. For reasons he can't explain, the urge to return the small dog to his owner is overwhelming. He soon finds the animal's owner, a woman in her mid-twenties named Maria. He is struck down by her beauty and realizes that he had once claimed the soul of someone she loved. He becomes even more conflicted when he realizes he has just one year to claim her soul.

Rocked by recent personal tragedy, Anna Carlton is craving a fresh start. So, when her husband Simon is offered an amazing opportunity within his real-estate development company, Anna agrees to leave behind their home in London and relocate to Ibiza, Spain. Ibiza is a paradise. Simon, his work colleagues, and their wives embrace the sun, sand, and exciting nightlife with open arms. But for Anna, the island is an isolated fever dream. Simon's work schedule and active social life keep him away, and despite the crowds and parties, Anna feels alone. Well...not completely alone. Since the moment she arrived in Ibiza, Anna has felt a presence. The persistent presence of someone watching her. Items begin to move inside her beachside house, perfume lingers, messages appear in the sand, and the image of a dark-haired woman is always just beyond Anna's peripheral. A woman Simon seems to already know... Who is she? || A novella of suspense, written for ONC 2026 with prompt #80. ||

I infiltrated the Thunder Devils motorcycle gang to find my best friend Rene. Agreeing to the bank heist was my expedited chance to gain the leader's trust. A hostage was never part of the plan, especially not one who turns into Alexei Sabanov, the most feared crime lord in the city. Warnings: 🌶️ High Heat Level (all scenes market and skipable) 🤬 Swearing ☠️ Touch Her & Die 💓 Dangerous Love 💋 A domineering, broody love interest who is hot and larger than life (but might deserve love) 😈 Dark Humor Read with caution! ~~~~ This is my ONC 2026 entry based on the following prompt: #51: While in search for a missing friend, you accidentally kidnap the most feared crime lord. ~~~~ © Sal Mason/Fire Rose 2026

A year ago, Carter DuBois plunged the world into an endless night, the remnants of his army made of sinister shapeshifters still lingering in the shadows as mankind fights for survival. In a last-ditch effort to reverse the damage he caused, Harper Jones visits Carter in prison just hours before his execution to offer him life in return for lifting the darkness, but he maintains his innocence. When Harper touches him, she's transported to a parallel dimension in the past. Now, she has to race against time to uncover the truth to save not only her own world but this dimension as well. Is Carter a scapegoat or is he the criminal mastermind everyone has made him out to be? If she gets it wrong, all will be lost, and that the Carter of this dimension is her husband doesn't make her quest any easier. ~~~~ This is my ONC 2026 entry based on the following prompts: #64: You touch someone who is accused of a crime and are suddenly transported to a different time and dimension. To return home, you must uncover the truth behind the accusation. But if your final judgment is wrong, you will carry the consequences yourself. #97: When the world slips into endless darkness, something begins to move in the shadows and you must find a way to survive in a night that never ends. ~~~~ © Sal Mason/Fire Rose 2026

What happens when Death falls in love with the paramour he is gifted? Cursed to kill everyone he touches, beastly Lord Damien Casteel lives in anger and loneliness. During a rare game of poker, he wins the final hand against a petty criminal named Luca. The prize is a pouch of twelve precious gemstones. But Luca is determined to get the stones back, no matter what. Breaking into Damien's mansion to exchange the real gems for fakes, he is captured and threatened with death. Begging for his life, he strikes a deal: his freedom in exchange for his adopted son, Jemison, who will serve the lord as his paramour for twelve days; one day for each stone. Although he is reluctant to let anyone into his life, Damien is desperate to keep Jem away from Luca's abuse, so he agrees. What he does not expect is to fall for the tormented young man. Prompt used is number 46. We love broken, beautiful people. And it doesn't get more obviously broken and more classically beautiful than you. (Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid) My writing is AI-free. Any emdashes are here because I LIKE them. The poetic purply prose is here because I LIKE it. Computers don't write my stuff. The Muse inside my head who keeps me up till 3 AM and wants to drive me bonkers, does. Warning for: spicy situations, alcohol, some swearing, blood, abuse, and typical Christine darkness. There's no graphic sa, torture, gore, or animal abuse.