❝I want you on your knees. Not out of love, or respect, or even fear... but because you understand your place will always be beneath me.❞ Leander Graves could be known for being one of the most popular gamers at merely twenty years old, or for being the mysterious guy no one really befriends. But no, Leander's name is always followed by the same word. 𝙑𝙞𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙣. Sheltered. Protected. Shy. Awkward. Completely insecure. Untouched fits too. Then one day Carmen Ivory walks in, clad in money and whispers, power and control. When she's told Leander is out of anybody's reach, a true challenge even for the best conquerors, he stops looking bland and starts appearing... fascinating. Thirty thousand dollars. Until winter break. For the money. For the dare. For her pride. But what begins as a simple bet soon becomes obsession: a web of manipulation, seduction, and cruelty spun by a girl who has never loved anyone in her life. Because Carmen doesn't fall in love. Psychopaths don't. They collect playthings. And Leander is destined to be her favorite. ♰ Bet trope ♰ Bad girl × Good boy ♰ Double POV ♰ Reverse dark romance ♰ Elite college

A pro hockey player and Hollywood princess form an unexpected bond amidst the scrutiny of the public, growing into a wildfire they both can't tame. ***** Larissa Hepburn, who goes by her stage name "Nova", is a triple threat in Hollywood. A talented singer, dancer, and actress, there seems to be nothing she can't do. In the eyes of the world, she's the model of a perfect human being. However, underneath the glamor, the smiles, laughter, and wall of illusions lies a darker truth - a woman on the brink of losing the tether she holds to this world. And on top of everything, she lost her best friend years ago to fame, a friendship she wants to mend as the final goal in her life. Then she meets Rhys Melton, a pro hockey player addicted to the world of hockey and himself broken in more ways than one. Brutal on the ice, he doesn't have time for romance or sexual relationships, especially after having his heart broken by someone from his past. And posing as the charming playboy to the public eye is the only way to shield his pain from the world. But one single glance and a hilarious encounter changes both their lives in the most unexpected ways. What begins as an escape from the paparazzi turns into an unlikely friendship that forms in one single night. And as they spend more time together, the more they discover the disastrous truth that lies underneath their armors, one that bonds them into a scandalous romance. Even the brightest souls can hide the darkest thoughts. But what happens when two broken people, one more than the other, cross paths? Will they save each other from the darkness consuming them? OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2026