Anaheim Public Library Canyon Hills Branch

I'm in the hills for a project inspection when a sudden downpour hits. I lose my footing and tumble down a steep slope. Lying in a pool of blood, I fumble for my phone and call my husband, Joel Grant, who's supposed to be nearby. "Rachel has anxiety. I only brought her back to her hometown to help her unwind. Can you stop being so paranoid and jealous for once? You're due in two weeks. I'll be there, okay? Just behave." In the background, I hear Rachel giggle softly. "The models have to be in their birthday suit for sketching, right?" Joel hangs up without another word. My sister-in-law—and best friend—Chloe Murphy finds me. She's sobbing as she cradles me, desperately trying to call her husband, Michael Grant, for help. "Are all pregnant women insane these days?" Michael snaps. "Don't start with the same manipulative crap as Anna. Joel and I are busy modeling for Rachel. We don't have time for your petty dramas." Then he blocks her. My injuries are too severe. There's no way help will arrive in time. Despite being heavily pregnant herself, Chloe hoists me onto her back and carries me down the mountain to the nearest hospital. Somehow, I survive. My baby doesn't. Chloe, devastated and physically pushed past her limits, loses her child too. "I want a divorce," I whisper with my eyes swollen from crying. "Me too. I'm done with Michael." We filed for divorce together. That's when Joel and Michael finally lose their minds.

Shana ward is the son of a wealthy businessman in their city. However, Shana's wealth status is hidden from the public to prevent her father's enemies from targeting Shana. Shana's life was fine before she met Dennis. Shana accidentally entering Dennis's room while running away from her father's enemies is the cause of everything. Dennis was a famous actor at the time. Their second meeting at a nightclub changes Dennis and Shana's lives. In a state of drunkenness, they both tied the knot with a contract. Since marrying Dennis, Shana's life has never been peaceful with her father's enemies getting to know her and Dennis who doesn't love her because indeed Dennis already has a girlfriend named Bethany. In silence, Bethany often messes up Shana's life. Will Shana's life be restless until the end and will Dennis open his heart to Shana? Stay tuned in the story Regret: Love that Changes Everything.

Lorenzo Codrenzo, a billionaire playboy, is tired of his mother trying to control his life and is desperate to secure his inheritance. He approaches Sophie Winterfield, a young woman in a difficult situation, with a proposition. He offers her a deal: she will pretend to be his wife and in return, he will provide her with a safe place to live, take care of her and her child, and help her find her missing father. The deal comes with strict conditions, however. Sophie must play by Lorenzo's rules and must never fall in love with him. He makes it clear that he will never return her feelings and that their marriage is purely for show. Sophie, desperate for a solution to her problems, agrees to the deal. She moves into Lorenzo's luxurious mansion, and they start to play the role of a loving couple in front of the world. They attend high-society events, go on trips, and make public appearances together, all the while keeping up the facade of a happy marriage. As they spend more time together, however, Sophie begins to see a different side of Lorenzo. She starts to feel a connection with him and starts to question whether their marriage is truly fake. On the other hand, Lorenzo, who initially saw Sophie as nothing more than a means to an end, finds himself drawn to her and starts to question his own feelings. As they navigate the complexities of their relationship, they are faced with a dangerous enemy who threatens to tear them apart, and a shocking secret that shakes their foundation. Will they be able to survive the storm and make their fake marriage real, or will they lose everything that matters?

Lily at age fifteen wanted to be so many things, but a werewolf was never part of it. Actually, she never thought of it either, because this story isn't about Lily at fifteen, nor is it about any damn werewolves. This story is about 23-year-old Lily Hills, waking up to the dead body of her one-night stand in a motel. The same man, Damien Kalashnikov, was to tie the knot the next morning, and Lily was slated to handle the magazine publishing the glamorous wedding events. Lily who just wanted an adventurous night for once in her life, was now accused of murdering a ruthless Russian Mafia boss. Just as all hope seems lost, Dimitri, Damien's identical twin brother and infamous "Beekeeper," saves her, he proposes a shocking solution: a contract marriage, with conditions for both parties to meet. The wedding, initially intended for Damien and his bride, will proceed as planned – with Lily as the new bride. As Lily and Dimitri navigate their complicated relationship, he commissions her to write his biography. With each passing day, secrets unfold, and shocking truths surface. Their bond deepens, but danger lurks. With a surprise pregnancy raising stakes, it seemed Damien left a souvenir. A Russian Roulette began. Albeit, a typical Russian will say to you: Когда река молчит, шепчет ли она секреты рыбам? (When the river's voice is silent, does it whisper secrets to the fish?) Even in silence, hidden truths may be shared, and secrets can be revealed in unexpected ways. Will Lily, wife to the Omertà Mafia Don ‘The Beekeeper’ eventually find out what happened that night?

After helping illegitimate son Clifford Johansen rise to fame, Seraphine Lodge gets ruthlessly discarded. Clifford turns around and proposes to his "true love" with a fireworks show worth hundreds of millions. He also indulges her as she makes Seraphine's mother, Andrea Lodge, die from a heart attack. He robs Seraphine of her identity as a true heiress without remorse. Seraphine gives her heart to the wrong man, but she doesn't scream or cry. Instead, she dumps the scumbag, pockets 200 million dollars in breakup fees, and watches her career soar. But Clifford refuses to let her go. He ruins her reputation, turning public opinion against her. Seraphine doesn't bow to power or cruelty. Anyone who dares cross her gets a taste of her revenge, which comes swiftly and brutally. Sweet revenge is satisfying, but an even sweeter thrill arrives one night while cloaked in moonlight. A tall, commanding figure approaches, radiating elegance and dominance. It's Elliott Johansen, the heir to Dirkane's most prominent family. He's powerful, untouchable, and feared by all. Seraphine freezes. Then comes his low, magnetic voice in her ear, "Sera, leave the violence to me. If you get hurt, my heart will ache." Her heart skips a beat. He continues, "Be good. We'll go home together once I'm through with them."

It was about time because my dad got a new girlfriend and said he wanted us to have a meal together to introduce the new woman into our lives. On the day we met, my college roommate saw my chat background, which had a photo of me and my dad, along with a series of transfer records. She lost her mind. She enlisted the support of our other roommates, who rarely paid me any attention and began to attack me, insisting that I was a side chick who deserved to die. I did not expect that my roommate would soon become my stepmom. Before I could explain, she accused me of trying to seduce my dad behind her back, shouting, "Shameless side chick! Going behind my back to seduce my boyfriend! All those times you said you were out studying?! Who knows if you were just meeting up with him?" I was once physically assaulted, stripped of my dignity, and forced to the restaurant for a public confrontation wearing ragged clothes. Then my dad came running to where I was hardly breathing and barely moving on the floor, bruised to the extreme. “Sweetheart, who did this to you?!”

I squealed in fear, about to attack back, but restrained myself. I felt his breadth run down my neck and his lips lightly touching my ears. "Listen to me girl" He says into my ears, his deep voice sending chills down my spine "Just because I let you say whatever you want, whenever you want, doesn't mean you get to disrespect me in public… Watch what come out of your mouth" His hand travelled up my arm to my neck, slowly gripping it“This is not your house Любовь” He added. When Irene is forced to get married to the drug lord due to her father, she is faced with the trauma of living with an abusive powerful man who wants everything to go his way. Being a person with sever anger issues Irene suffers to come to terms with her new life and decided to attempt to tame her beast.

She had dreamt about being in his arms again for five years. But, now, seeing him, she wanted nothing to do with him ever again. ~~~~~~~~~~ Valerie, a devoted wife and mother, gets into a steamy affair with her brother-in-law while married to her abusive husband. While their affair went on, a mysterious character was hell bent on ruining their lives and exacting an almost a decade long revenge. What happens when Valerie's husband finds out about his wife and his brother? How'd the Carsons manage to hide this big scandal from the public? Being one of the most influential and secretive families in the world drew more enemies to them. How long will Valerie and Alan manage to keep their affair on the low? How long will it take for them to find out who this mysterious character is before they ruin their lives forever? Read to find out Rated 18+ and contains the use of foul language, violence, and abuse.

Mireya is someone who follows her morals more than anyone else. She's already contented with her life being a public servant. Teacher in a public school that loves her students more than her life. Not until her student, the senator's grandson has been kidnapped. That's when she met him. Poison Montello. The handsome, sexy, and evil kidnapper. A girl with morals meets someone who's living opposite of her. Will her mind be poisoned to love the evil man or it will be the other way around?

Just when Dan, Bruce, and Shen thought they could take some time to unwind and recover from their horrific ordeal with the mutant vampires in the Las Vegas den they destroyed, Bruce has an unexpected run in with werewolves outside his cabin in the hills of Owego, NY and is wounded. Now, instead of searching for vampires they’re searching for a cure for Bruce before the werewolf affliction takes hold of his body permanently. Hearing about a paranormal group in Phoenix AZ that could possibly help them, they wasted no time boarding a plane.The mutant vampire den may have been destroyed, but Dracula’s vampires are still out in full force... and they’re looking for the vampire slayers by orders of Dracula! To add to their peril, they’re forced to partner up with the local vampire leader to help them hunt for Bruce after he morphed into a werewolf and ran off into the desert mountains before a mystical high priestess was able to admister the cure. While roaming the caverns of the Arizona mountains Bruce meets up with Tatyana, a young woman who is running from the vampires. Fortunately for him she’s no stranger to the occult and accpets him in both human and werewolf form. It’s a bonus that she’s able to commincate telepathically! Even though she vows to stay with him no matter what form he’s in, she’s in agreement with everyone that a cure would be the best for all. Would they get it into him in time?