The Billionaire’s Bartered Bride

"Oh my God Nicole !!! I just said yes to Rafael ,"

Nicole heard Natalie say in excitement as she entered her workshop, she dropped the brush she had been using to paint and pushed aside the painting board in front of her, she turned and faced her twin, she looked so excited and her eyes sparkled.

"Wow,"

Nicole said.

"Is that all you have to say, Nicole ? Really? You are such a mood spoiler,"

Her twin said frowning at her, she looked exactly like her, they were identical, born just a minute apart, Natalie was older with one minute and never fail to rub it on her face everytime, they had identical face, body type, hair type and color, although Natalie currently had hers in blond and straightened out, but when left in it natural curly state, it looked exactly like hers, and they even do some movement in sync, they were so similar that even their parents find it hard to tell them apart, that was majorly because they weren't always around though, the only person that could tell them apart sadly passed away three years ago, their nanny Percy, she had been the only one to recognize them no matter how similar they dressed or act, and it had been tough on the both of them when she had died, anyway her twin and her were identical in everyway, well almost every way because Natalie was the social bird while she was the book worm who stayed indoor all day and had no friends, in all her twenty six years, she could count the number of times she has gone out with people and it not much, even those few times Natalie had been the one to drag her along, not like she was complaining, she liked her life the way it was.

"Aren't you going to say something else?"

Natalie asked her frown deepening.

"I don't know what else to say,"

"At least look happy for me, I am getting married,"

She said in excitement showing off the huge diamond ring on her fingers.

"Congratulations twinnie,"

Nicole said getting up to hug her, she screamed in excitement and Nicole had to pull away from her to prevent herself from going deaf.

"I am so excited, I am so happy, imagine how I felt when he got on one kneels and pop the question, I wasn't expecting it, so imagine my shock, I am getting married not just to any man but to Rafael Salvador, the most sort after a man in the whole city,"

Her sister exclaimed, dancing around the room.

Nicole had met Rafael once before when Natalie had been too tired to go on a date with him and she had begged her to go in her place, the image she had of the man her sister was so excited to be engaged to wasn't so pleasing to her, in fact, it was the opposite, he had been arrogant and too full of himself and had talked about himself and his business throughout their date that she had wanted to run away, she had been happy when he got a business call and had to leave, she hasn't seen him again since but sometimes when she opened the internet or turn on the television, there was always something about him, he was like the talk of the town, her twin had been so happy when they started dating and had gone on and on about him for weeks, but as the weeks ran by, she had complained that he didn't have her time and was always too busy. until this morning Natalie had said she wanted to end things with him, which made this marriage proposal even more confusing.

"Nat, I thought you said you were gonna end things with him? "

"I did, but that was before he popped the question, who wouldn't want to be married to Mateo?"

"Well, congratulations,"

"You know, if you weren't my sister and my twin at that, I would think you hate me or something,"

Natalie said frowning at her.

"What do you mean by that Nat? Why will I hate you?"

"You act like it sometimes, I just told you I am getting married to a man of my dream but you seem not to care,"

"Nat, you know I care,"

"You are not acting like it though,"

Nicole didn't want to say anything to ruin her happy mood, she didn't just seem to get it over her head.

"Are you sure you really wanna marry him? I know you Nat and I know you change your mind about things easily, I mean you are the same girl who has changed her career a hell of a lot of time,"

Nicole asked her sister, still not buying the idea of Natalie committing to a marriage, even she didn't want to be married.

"I am sure, you know, of all the people I have told about my engagement, you are the least excited and you don't seem to care and you are supposed to be the one who is more excited for me, why are you such a killjoy, Cole?"

"I am not, I just want to make sure it what you want, I am trying to look out for you here,"

"Whatever, any way to answer your question, this is what I want, what I have always dreamt of, and what I was born for, I am going to be Mrs.Mateo, do you know how many ladies will kill to be in my shoes right now? I mean our engagement is already everywhere in the paparazzi, everyone marveling at how lucky I am,"

She said, once again dancing around her workshop while staring at the ring. Nicole was sure their parents will be proud of her since this was the kind of life they wanted both their daughters to Nate but only Natalie was Nating up to that and that's why she was their parents favorite even though they couldn't even tell them apart when they switch roles, Nicole avoided her parents as much as she could, even though they lived together, she rarely sees them, not that they were around much, they are always away on some vacation or business trip, she was used to it because that was what she grew up to when they were both younger, they had hated it when their parents were away but as they grew older, they got used to it and right now, she was glad they were always away because the few times they were around, her mom always does everything to ruin her mood, she really want to leave the house and be on her own but her twin had talked her out of it, now that she was getting married maybe it was time to leave anyway.

"Have you told Mom and Dad about it? When is the wedding?"

She asked sitting back down in front of her painting, she planned on finishing it before the end of the day as she hoped to send it to the local art gallery before the exhibition date, which was only one week away, she was super excited to show off her work finally but at the same time, she was scared that people might not like it, only four people had seen her work so far, her parents who told her to quit painting and become a model like her twin, Natalie , and their nanny, if she counts the staffs them maybe the numbers will increase, she had been so happy when the art gallery had requested for her work when she had sent them a picture of what she could do, she was super excited to show off her art.

"I haven't said anything to them, I will do that as soon as I get to my room, they may already have found out through the news because it already trending everywhere,"

Natalie said bringing out her phone and showing it to her, there was indeed a photo of her and Rafael , lips locked, she couldn't quite make out the heading because she was without her glass, another thing that differentiated her from Natalie , she had bad eyesight, while Natalie 's were perfect.

"I was thinking of a summer wedding but Rafael wants to be married soon, so in two months, we are yet to fix a date,"

Natalie continued her excitement growing with every passing minute.

"Ah, okay, want me to be your chief bridesmaid?"

She asked even though she already knew Nat's answer.

"No way, you want to confuse my husband to be?"

"Why? you will be wearing a wedding dress while I will be in a bridesmaid dress, we can have different hairdo and makeup too,"

"No, thank you, Chloe will be my bridesmaid."

She replied.

"Alright then,"

Nicole answered picking up her painting brush to go back to work.

"You are bad at everything but your paintings are top-notch Sis,"

Natalie said coming to stand beside her, her twin and their nanny had been the only ones to like her painting, their parents as usual didn't support her but she didn't need their approval, the fact that her twin loved her art was enough for her if Nanny Percy was still around, she was sure she would have loved it too.

"Thanks, Nat, I will paint you something as a wedding present, just get me the photo you would want me to paint,"

She said smiling at her twin, the giant diamond ring on her finger glittering.

"I trust you, bitch, I need to rest, I am off, I haven't slept since last night,"

Natalie said heading out of her painting workshop.

She went back to painting, but she couldn't help but be worried that Nat was making a mistake, she wished she could talk her out of it but she knew, no one can talk Natalie out of doing what she wants...