Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

VANESSA: ~"You will marry him!" Dad thundered, his veins bulging and his sickly pallor only enhancing how close to death's door he was. I was more worried about his health than this insane idea he was spouting, but. "This is the 21st century! You can't force to marry anyone! That's preposterous!" I wanted to yell several more words, to impress on him how absurd his demand was, but then the heart monitor started beeping loudly. A nurse and his hairless doctor rushed in. Mum and I were pushed out gently but firmly.~ Vanessa Anders might not have a lot of love for her father, but she couldn't stand by and let his empire crumble, not when it will lead to his death. Besides, the man she was more or less being sold off to was easy on the eyes, rich and very nice! Okay, she might have a crush on the billionaire, but isn't that a good thing? Except, after marriage, the nice charming man disappears and a beast takes his place. A beast that loves to make Vanessa hurt. CALLUM: Callum Gray hates two things in life; being lied to and people who try to manipulate him. The exact two things Shawn Anders and his daughter were. What kind of desperate girl holds a man to ransom just to get him to marry her? It didn't matter. What she wanted was a marriage, right? Well, that's exactly what she would get. A marriage, not of convenience, but of hell. Callum was going to make her suffer for every single bit of her manipulation and then some. Author's Note; This book features a deceitful father, a mean and sadistic CEO and an oblivious young woman who is a pawn in her father's game and the recipient of a revenge plot.

Love is very painful, deceitful yet it is remedy for a torn heart. Isqaar Tarun is such a beautiful girl, who strongly believe in love as the portion for the soul. All her life has always been pain and sorrows, loosing her parents at a tender age, living with a stoic mafia brother who never said a word to her and her frail health made it worse. but love saves Isqaar Tarun, despite the fact that she solemnly hates the mafia for taking away her country's freedom and her brother, she falls for the mafioso prince, her brother's best friend. Ahmed looks like her prince charming, he is kind to her and only her, and of course very good looking. every one wishes to have him but only she has him. And she wants to change him, for the best, however the mafia is all Ahmed has ever had. fate plays a very cunning game to her when she feels she has the world at her feet... Love is just a lie the novel is about the lives of four growing adults. struggling with love, peer pressure, poverty and gang life...

16 year old Scarlet Paine struggles to understand what’s happening to her, as she wakes and realizes she’s becoming a vampire. Alienated from her parents and her friends, the only person she has left to turn to is Sage, the mysterious boy who has quickly become the love of her life. Yet Sage, whose house she finds boarded up, is nowhere to be found.

Scarlet, alone in the world, with nowhere left to turn, seeks out her friends and tries to reconcile with them. All seems to be patched up when they invite her to join them on a trip to an abandoned island in the Hudson—but as things get out of hand and Scarlet’s true powers are revealed, who her friends and enemies are becomes more confusing than ever.

Blake, still interested in her, tries to make amends. He seems sincere, and Scarlet is confused as she has to grapple with whether to be with Blake or to wait for Sage, who is nowhere to be found.

When Scarlet finally finds Sage, they have the most romantic time of her life; yet it is tinged with tragedy, as Sage is dying, with but a few days left to live.

Kyle, meanwhile, turned into the only other vampire left in the world, is on a murderous rampage, seeking Scarlet; Caitlin and Caleb consult with Aiden, and they each embark on different missions—Caleb to stop and kill Kyle, and Caitlin, to the famed Yale University library, to research the ancient relic rumored to both cure and kill vampires for all time.

It is a race against time, and it may be too late. Scarlet is changing rapidly, barely able to control what she’s becoming, and Sage is dying with each passing moment. As the book culminates in an action-packed, shocking twist, Scarlet will be left with a monumental choice—one that will change the world forever. Will Scarlet make the ultimate sacrifice to save Sage’s life? Will she risk everything she has for love?

In "Unexpected Arrangement," Emily Rhodes, finds herself in a desperate situation when her mother falls ill and needs an expensive surgery. Emily is determined to find a way to raise the money, but her efforts are thwarted when she accidentally spills champagne on billionaire Gabriel Specter, the host of the event at a high-end charity event where she is working. Humiliated and without a job, Emily struggles to make ends meet. She eventually lands a position as a housemaid for a wealthy couple, but quickly discovers that the job is not what it seems. The couple is seeking a surrogate mother, and they offer Emily a million-dollar cheque to carry their child. Despite her reservations, Emily agrees to the arrangement, hoping that the money will be enough to pay for her mother's surgery. As the due date approaches, Emily's emotions are thrown into turmoil as she tries to reconcile her growing feelings for Gabriel with the reality of their arrangement. With her mother's health at stake, her heart and life on the line, Emily must make a difficult a decision that will change the course of her life forever. What happens if Emily gets accepted by Gabriel Specter? Their burning hatred just might lead to something else. And with the dark secrets surrounding the Specters, Emily might get burnt in the way.

Princess Avalea, a Venusian Witch and the heir to the throne of the magical kingdom of Altair, finds herself on the run after witnessing the assassination of her father, the King. Helpless and hurt, she is forced to seek refuge with Aldrich, a Werewolf, a Cursed One. While Venusian Witches are the highest, the purest amongst all magical beings in Altair, the Werewolves, also known as the Cursed Ones are the lowliest, the crassest, the crudest. They're savages who have gained entry into Altair by deceitful means. Or at least, that's what Princess Avalea has been led to believe. With assassins after her own life and a traitor to weed out, the only person Princess Avalea can trust, ironically, is Aldrich the Werewolf. As he nurses her back to health, her prejudices begin to dissolve, and a bond develops between the savagely handsome werewolf and the pure, ethereally beautiful witch princess. But Aldrich has secrets. Deep, dark secrets that can shatter Avalea's heart and leave it broken beyond repair.

Mikkel Solar has been living his life as a drifting shadow at the borders of his pack for the past 11 years. His only companions being his parents. His 'condition' has rendered him an outcast of society, a being they see as a curse. Upon reaching the age of maturity, the supernaturals of Europe are deemed worthy of entering the land of Rhodes, a place that refines the finest warriors, witches, healers and leaders. Aged 22, Mikkel finally finds himself the opportunity to escape to the land of neutrality where legally he was free to abide in without the threat of being harmed. However, will he pass the entrance exam and will the Land of Rhodes find him worthy of enrollment? Meghaal Singhe a studious human who just wants to get her degree has been housing at the Cosmic moon pack for the last month. Mikkel finds in her the friend he never had. The friend he always wanted and needed. The Two best friends fight their way past figures of Authority and superstitious stigma that stand against them as they force their ways past the gates of Rhodes. But what they do not know is that a storm is brewing. A storm that links the two of them to everyone and everything that plays a part. Betrayal, negligence, broken hearts and newfound love are the cups of tea they're in for. This story does not only focus on Mikkel and Meghaal. It just starts out with them. There will be 3 other protagonists who will have their very own story within it. Each one of them will have a problem of their own, and each one of them will be connected to one other. T/W This story contains mxm, mxg, gxg, mxmxm, depression, suicide, mental health, and rape.

Shotgun marriage usually happens when there is an unintended pregnancy resulting in marriage in a hurry or enforced but... not in my case. "Desmond Cro'esnt, do you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in matrimony, to love her, to honor her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?" I looked straight into Desmond's eyes. They are raven black and it does match his long, wavy black hair. "I do," he answered as he smiled innocently at me. Making himself look promising. Then, the priest turned to me. "Neiva Ariella Hillstone, do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, to honor him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?" I still can't believe that I'm going to marry this man. He looks happy, waiting for my answer. His white suit is making him look even kinder. The only witness we have here is the priest and his men in black suits, currently pointing a gun right into my head. "Time is running, Neiva. It's either you marry me or you die." His innocent smile turned into a devilish one. This suits him more because this is the real him. And that answered your question. My shotgun marriage happened to be the literal meaning of it. I closed my eyes and deeply breathed before answering, "I do." "You're mine now." He pulled me by my waist and pressed his lips against mine. I am now officially the wife of this Psychopath Billionaire Mafia Boss.

Sixteen-year-old Rithanya can’t wait to go to boarding school and follow her dream of entering the Armed Forces Medical College. A far cry from the busy city life in her hometown of Bangalore, the strict, rural boarding school has strange rules and a stringent way of life for the students. Rithanya quickly settles in, making friends and enjoying her new life away from her sometimes overbearing family. But it isn’t all fun and games. The hostel food is intolerable and Rithanya starts to feel the pressure of her intense studies. She has terrible nightmares of failing her exams and disgracing her family, and her poor diet isn’t helping. The drudgery of capsuled academic studies, stringent rules, unpalatable food and the rat race for perfection triggers depression and an attack of psychosis of unimaginable magnitude in her mind. Once a bright and carefree girl, she falls into a terrible mental state of overwork and anxiety. Her deteriorating condition is of great concern to her family. Can Rithanya get better and continue her studies, or will the overwhelming pressure and her deteriorating mental health threaten to spoil her future plans?

"Shadows of the Past" is a story about *Natasha Fernandez* (26),the daughter of a billionaire who never enjoyed her childhood due to the loss of her mother and her father's busy schedule. She struggles with health issues and finding true love until she meets *Jamal smith* (29) who rescues her from a robber and becomes her friend, and eventually her husband. Years later, Natasha hires her childhood friend *Imade Martins*(25) a home tutor for her adopted daughter *Tessa* (3). However, Natasha is heartbroken when she discovers Jamal's affair with Imade, and she uses her power to frustrate Imade's business life. Unbeknownst to them all, Jamal is the biological father of Imade's daughter, whom she lost in the hands of a matron to an orphanage some years back. Imade leaves for another city where she falls in love with her boss, Mr. *George Henry,*(34) an influential business tycoon and a single father. Twenty years later, *Roy Henry,* George's son, falls in love with Tessa, Natasha's daughter. However, their love is jeopardized after a family introduction takes place, and complicated truths unravel, putting Tessa's life at stake. The story explores the drama and chaos that ensue as the characters confront their past and navigate their present relationships.

“I am in love with you, Silvia. I want us to start our love story together. I am sorry for everything I have done because I need you.” Ralph's words stunned Silvia. For Silvia, she was expecting a day like that. Ralph has always been a cruel boss to her. She had reached a contract with Ralph, solely because of her mother's health, enduring each day in a toxic space that seemed designed to break her spirit. Living with Ralph had always been hell…a nightmare. But it all changed when Ralph realized his love for Silvia. However, Ralph was already engaged to Silvia's friend, Rebecca. The impossible tangled webs of love and loyalty were about to unravel. What is going to happen from here?