Billionaire in Hiding, Book One: Dusk in the Vines

By D.C. Chagnon

Madeleine Norwood, lifetime resident of Rosiln Woods, had a day that goes from bad, to worse, to outright far-fetched. Nothing notable happens within her sleepy town hidden in the forest—until two mysterious brothers arrive in town. Julian, an upbeat and forward 20-something, and his elder brother James, a mysterious, brooding man are inexplicitly tied to Madeleine—in ways she herself could never have imagined. Her sleepy life is transformed overnight as a looming sense of danger settles in the air. As she grows closer to the auburn-haired, charismatic Julian, James’ persona darkens. The more Madeleine is tangled within their web, one stark truth comes to light: the charming two of them are hiding a secret—one that will change Madeleine’s life overnight. In the midst of this shadowy situation, Madeleine finds herself torn between her ingrained daily life, and her deeply permeating curiosity—and her blooming affection for these foreign strangers. But, she finds that the closer she gets to Julian, the more questions flood in and add upon each other.

For Madeleine, at least one thing is certain: things will never be the same again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark Mulle
• Release date: Oct 19, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310013195

D.C. Chagnon

D.C. Chagnon was born in a quiet little town in Tennessee, and this was also the place where her love for the romantic and exciting was born. The author remembers days spent running on hillsides and swimming in brooks, and endless hours spent reading books that were her escape from the mundane. It was on a fateful summer day when the teenager wrote her first romantic short story as a submission for a local paper’s contest. Signed under a pseudonym, her story that told of summer and the sun, of a friendship gone beyond its limits, and heart-aching tragedy, garnered praise and the first prize for the young story-teller. She was eighteen, and on that day, she decided that she wanted to write for the rest of her life. The author is happily enjoying the married life with her husband of five years and their two young children. She is an avid traveler and has sought every opportunity to tour places halfway across the globe. While at home, the author makes it a full-time commitment to be a mom, but also spends a lot of her time coming up with new story material. She is often heard saying how difficult it is to balance being a wholesome house mom while writing erotic fiction on the side. While she outwardly claims her inspirations to be the likes of renowned novelists Lisa Kleypas and Anne Rice, she does admit to being a fan of the more current works such as those of the Fifty Shades of Grey author and the Twilight series. On her off times, she can also be seen reading the more wholesome works by Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams.

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Billionaire in Hiding, Book One: Dusk in the Vines

By D.C.Chagnon

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2014 D.C. Chagnon

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Other Books in the Billionaire in Hiding Trilogy

Billionaire in Hiding, Book Two: Dawn in the Canopies

Billionaire in Hiding, Book Three: Midnight on the Shore

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Other Books by This Author

Chapter 1

Madeleine fumbled to slide her key into the lock in the foggy darkness. She muttered a list of expletives as she clumsily scratched her front door in an effort to finally let herself in after what seemed to be one of her longest work days in recent memory.

That morning, she had wearily placed her feet on the bare hardwood floors before the sun had risen. Once her eyes fully opened, Madeleine went about her rushed early-morning routine: she started the coffee maker, managed to shower in 10 minutes, and threw on her usual outfit. All of this was done in silence and tip-toed movements, as to not wake her boyfriend, Jeremy, who often slept until 11 A.M. or later.

Once she had left the house, it was only a brief five minute walk to the Nord les Bois Pâtisserie, the café she managed, owned and operated. In the summer months, she would see the sunrise weakly burn above the tips of the dense firs that encapsulated the city; in the winter, though, she would briskly walk in the dark cold, wondering if she would be home from work in time to see the sun before it had set. This morning in particular had been a chilled autumn dawn, where only the small hinting of sunlight would begin to color the sky. Upon arriving at her café, she would start yet another pot of coffee, and begin diligently working.

As usual, she cooked batches of pumpkin-flavored everything; breads and tarts and muffins and scones. The school year had started up again, which meant a consistent flow of people from open until closing. Chairs were filled with serious-looking graduate students, all adorned with a confused, frustrated wrinkle in their foreheads. There were haphazardly formed study groups of undergrads, who often times would forget their stacks of notecards upon finally giving up on their studying and leaving for the night.

However, along with her usual stream of customers, Madeleine also took charge of a handful of other projects. For a bride with an overabundant autumn wedding, Madeleine delicately iced copper and gold leaves onto a towering spectacle of frosting and fondant. For the harvest festival, she made hundred-pound batches of cupcake batter.

It would have been manageable, if Violet had not been sick. Violet saved Madeleine from an early grave by acting as the front of the store, barista, and an assistant baker. But today, she called Madeleine in a frenzy.

I’m so— Violet paused. On the other end, Madeleine heard a loud sneeze followed by a few aching coughs. So sorry, she began again.

Madeleine had no choice but to continue on by herself. By the end of the day, she could only look on in bewilderment at the sight of her kitchen. The chaos of the day led into a long, quiet night that was only interrupted by the occasional frustrated,