Romans & histoires Writing Contest Cash Prize

My son, Jasper Cole, won the gold prize in an art competition. When I took off my apron and rushed to the award ceremony, I found that the painting titled 'Mother' was not of me but Maeve Leighton, my husband's secretary. Maeve pretended to be troubled as she told my son, "Your mom will be sad when she sees this painting." However, Jasper was unperturbed. "What does her sadness have to do with me? She's an ordinary-looking and incompetent housewife, always nagging me about what I can and can’t do. She's too strict with me. It's annoying! Maeve, I wish you were my mother. My dad doesn't like my mom at all. He's only happy when he's with you. He's only with my mom because he feels obligated." My heart broke at that moment. Since he no longer wanted me as his mother, it was pointless for me to stay. I called my dad. "Dad, I want to go home. Can you pick me up?" My dad could not believe it. He answered after a long pause, "Of course. I'll come pick up my brilliant daughter in three days."

"What do you want in return for saving my daughter?" Japheth Williams asked blankly. Gilda quickly sprang up, "No. I didn't save her because I wanted a prize, Angel is just too...." "Then have a nice time," Japheth cuts in and leaves without looking back. Gilda was taken aback; she saved the billionaire's daughter because she happened to be locked in the same storeroom. Now her father thought she did it because she wanted something in return. Getting back home, a wedding proposal was waiting. Her stepmom handed her the proposal, "You either marry him or stop acting." Stop acting? Acting was her biggest passion and dream. Asking her to quit or get married was too much, and so she left home. While roaming on the street, another proposal met her again, and this time it was from Seth Williams, Japheth's brother. "My niece can't get enough of you. Be her nanny, and I'll sponsor your acting career". Frustrated and desperate, she agreed. If taking care of Angel alone was the real job, it would be easier, but she was forced to deal with her crippled father, too. Japheth Williams. The head honcho of the biggest film industry in the country. It started as a business deal, but how did it end? And who is Angel’s real Mum?.

When April Morgan wipes spilled beer from her face at Goody's Bar, she doesn't expect her night to collide with danger-or with Diablo Romano, a man whose very name sends tremors through the underworld. Dark-suited, merciless, and untouchable, Diablo rules his empire with cold precision... until April's defiance catches his attention. Drawn into his shadowed world, April finds herself torn between fear and fascination. Every glance from Diablo burns deeper than the last, awakening a desire she can't deny-and a peril she can't escape. But behind his deadly control lies a secret war against his own blood: Abel Romano, the brother who betrayed him. As the Rossi Cartel moves to strike and loyalties fracture, April becomes both pawn and prize in a game of vengeance. With her friends Aria, Jammie, and Joe caught in the crossfire, and allies like Brian and Karen concealing dangerous truths, April must decide how far she's willing to fall for the man the world calls a devil. Because once you belong to Diablo Romano, there's no turning back. Will April surrender to the darkness that craves her-or will loving the Mafia King be the one sin she can't survive?

-Kehlani,  an avid writer who spends most of her time publishing bestselling romance novels wants to write a new whole genre for a change and to this effect she decides to embark on writing a fantasy based fictional romance which she had never done before, mostly to honour her late grandmother who was a fan of such a genre. Kehlani embarks on a journey to her grandmother’s hometown for various reason: firstly as a form of reflection due to her grandmother’s one year anniversary and secondly because she needed a sabbatical in a quiet place which was in tune with nature to enable her work on this said Manuscript and possibly gather inspirations. - Kehlani arrives at Woodbine only to discover that this town is cut away from, the world in every sense of it. It seemed like their town was stuck in time as even the little stories her grandmother had told her and it's landmark still remained. Kehlani takes advantage of this and decides to take an interest in the townspeople who only farmed and jollied  as she felt that it might form an inspirational framework for her new Fantasy Manuscript.

Being a writer is not easy, but being a ghost writer who wanted to pursue writing but doesn’t want her name to get involved to any issues in order to have a peaceful life is so hard. While Bavina is focusing on being a ghost writer whom have tons of supporters and readers, she’s having a hard time to hide it when Paul Hemingway, whom is a singer and a composer knew about her big secret. It all started when Bavina saw him in the middle of the rain, crying and not on the right mind. Paul asked her to be in a fake relationship with him and will pay her a half million, and after Bavina met Paul’s Dad, she’s determined to help him to stop the marriage of Paul and Tacia, whom was his ex. But what if because of the contract fake relationship, one of them will want to be in a real relationship? And what if the moment they created a new human being, they both turned their back on each other because one of them can’t accept it? Are they going to be with each other or one of them will get married to one another and deny the child? Unforbidden is unforbidden. Fake is fake.

"She came for the $10,000 paycheck. She didn't expect to bargain for her life." Serenia Buenavista is having the absolute worst day of her life. She just got evicted from her apartment, her bank account is down to five dollars, and she just caught her boyfriend cheating on her—while his new girl is wearing Serenia's favorite hoodie. Desperate for quick cash, Serenia applies for a suspiciously high-paying anonymous job online: a nanny position for a "high-stress environment" paying $10,000 a month. But when she arrives at the heavily guarded mansion, she doesn't find a normal family. She finds Matteo Alcantara—a cold, ruthless, and terrifying underground boss who is currently losing a war against his orphaned four-year-old nephew. While other professional nannies run out of the house crying, Serenia sits on the floor and negotiates with the toddler like a tiny criminal, promising to teach him how to picklock doors if he eats his broccoli. Matteo is speechless. He needs her. But just as Serenia signs the deadly contract, gunshots shatter the mansion's windows. Now, locked in a world of danger, secrets, and a very grumpy, dangerously handsome boss, Serenia realizes she didn't just sign up for childcare... She signed up for the mafia.

After the team-building trip is over, I get complimented by my boss and colleague for organizing it because it's been a fun experience for everyone, not to mention the money they've paid is worth the experience. But the next day, I get publicly shamed by Marilyn Ross, a finance executive, in the company's group chat. She has posted a few ambiguous transaction screenshots and accused me of receiving 50 thousand dollars' worth of under-the-table commissions from the farm. All of my colleagues instantly take Marilyn's side. They begin berating me for acting all pretentious when in reality, I'm despicable enough to do all those underhanded things behind their backs. But that's when my boss, Ethan Keller, leaves a question mark in the group chat. The smug Marilyn begins coercing me into writing a resignation report and returning the money. But what she doesn't know is that the farm is Ethan's private business. How on earth can I receive such commissions, in the first place?

22-year-old Anastasia Sanchez is a diehard fan of the e-book, Bonded: a werewolf love story with millions of fans around the world. When the final pages of Bonded cruelly tear the main leads apart, she is livid! She confronts the author and demands her to write the sequel with the two main leads getting back together. Instead of agreeing with her, the author gives her the task that’ll change her life forever: to write the sequel herself! But there’s a catch! Instead of writing the sequel with a laptop and Wi-Fi, Anastasia is magically transported inside the virtual world of Bonded and becomes one of its characters! Her problem doesn’t end there, her desire to give the two main leads a happy ending is cut short when she finds herself falling in love with Bonded’s male lead, Alpha Hugh Montemayor. Caught between loyalty to her beloved characters and the undeniable allure of Hugh’s embrace, will Anastasia sacrifice her own desires for the sake of the story, or will she rewrite the script of her own heart?

Eleanor, the fierce Lycan Princess of Genovia, was born to rule and her freedom is a distant dream, shackled by royal duty. Promised to the ruthless Alpha Alexandro, the deadly Lycan King of Leens, Eleanor escapes for one night of rebellion in Greece. There, she loses herself to four hot, charming Lycan princes of an enemy country, Alessio, Enzo, Luca and Marco—an act of defiance that leaves her with a secret child and her role as the prospective Lycan King at stake. Now, three years later, Eleanor must assemble a harem of powerful mates to secure her position as king from her foster brother who wants to take this position by all means. The king gives her three months only to find a mate and get married. It happens that among her suitors are familiar faces—the quadruplets she had a one-night stand with three years ago. The second set being their rivals, the equally irresistible Lycan princes of Leens. It's a deadly game with intense seductive passion. Both contest for Eleanor but it's not going to be all easy for her. Her world crumbles when the first quads go against her and they begin to attack and the mate she loves most among them turns out to be her enemy brother's boyfriend. Will Eleanor be able to survive these dark dangerous passions and achieve the greatest love story? With her future as the first female Lycan King of Genovia at stake, can Eleanor claim the throne with the hearts of her eight mates. Will they give up everything for her? Or will her country—and her love—be torn apart by the secrets of her past?

"Our heart beats only with their permission." For as long as she can remember, the bookworm Synecdoche Rochet, 23, has lived a simple life in Maharlika Nation—hiding in the grasses and grains of District G to avoid the terrifying power of the Embassy and its ruthless Ambassador. In a dystopian world that is controlled with surveillance, Synecdoche Rochet embarks on a mission to get back their rights on their district's valuable resources—the grains. When she discovered her intellectual ability, she found herself drawn to the charismatic Giovanni, the long-lost Ambassador's privileged son together with other intelligent students, Ulap, Token, and Keithwarth. They found themselves being the tributes on the 2nd Maharlika Spelling TwistBee—trapped in the Word Arena. An annually commemorated game where each district will represent one letter in the Alphabet, spell the given English words not verbally, but by beating other competitors who have letter tattoos on their arms. The rules are to Spell and beat them. Within the competitor's reach, the team-up of Synecdoche, Giovanni, Ulap, Token, and Keithwarth isn't a coincidence, it's a conspiracy. What if Synecdoche's age will be reversed? Will they use their intelligence for vengeance? Will they compel love and trust to survive the competition? Is their life the price or the prize? "Even the shortest word has the longest meaning."