Chapter 3

Nicole thought hard on what she should do, she thought of just telling him that she was not Natalie but her twin sister, but then Natalie said she didn't want them to meet until the day of the wedding, she couldn't understand why her sister felt they shouldn't meet but she couldn't blame her either, her parents still got them confused, not to talk of someone who hasn't met the two of them before.

He stood there handsomely, he a button-down white shirt and a pair of black trousers and also matching black shoes, he gave off the young, rich and handsome vibes that almost made her dizzy, he looked so confident in himself standing there, that she wanted to run and hide, he beckoned on her to come over.

"Well, fuck it, we will deal with this later,"

She muttered under her breath as she walked up to him

"Hi, dear,"

She said going over for a hug, she quickly drew away from the hug as his unique smell hit her nostrils, he smelled good and had a nice body, all good, Natalie liked her men big and broad so she wasn't surprised.

"Were you trying to avoid me?"

"What? Me? No, I wasn't,"

"Are you sure? I got the feeling that you were though,"

"I wasn't, I just didn't know I will meet you here,"

She said truthfully, she would never have imagined he would be here. She didn't see him as someone who comes to places like this, maybe he stopped by to see a friend or maybe he is an art lover too, even though he didn't look like it.

"I didn't know you liked art, and I have never seen you dressed so casual and you even have glasses on,"

"Is it a bad thing?"

She asked, avoiding eye contact with him, this was how she usually dresses, she preferred casual and has never been a fan of a heavy makeover.

"No, not at all, I just almost didn't recognize you without the make-up and glamorous dresses that I am used to.

"Great, they don't even know much about each other, and yet they are getting married,"

She thought, and then remembered she wasn't Natalie , to begin with.

"Well, I was just getting some materials, so I can dress down and my neighborhood is just about a thirty-minute drive away,"

She said suddenly feeling conscious.

"I didn't say it a bad thing, stop making it sound like that,"

"I wasn't, so what are you doing here?"

She asked wanting to be anywhere but here.

"I told you before that I got a new property, this is it,"

Great, he was the new owner of her favorite art shop, the universe must be playing with her, she just didn't like his aura, maybe because her first impression of him had not been nice. He was handsome, no doubt about that, not to mention he was super wealthy too, ever since Natalie 's told her about the engagement she had googled him to at least know more about the person her sister was long to spend forever with if she was the materialistic type she would have been impressed, but unfortunately she wants, her parents were wealthy people too, although not as wealthy as Rafael, but still wealthy, and wealth wasn't much of a pull to her if, for nothing, she won't mind being from an average loving family where both parents will be around to watch her grow, instead of the absent parents she grew up with.

Back to Rafael, the only admirable thing she found out about him aside from his hot body, which she couldn't deny, was that he was a self-made billionaire, which means he worked for his money from the bottom to the top but that made him kind of ruthless too because some of the things she read about him were no good, she read about how he took over smaller businesses capitalizing on their inability to meet up and feeding off jus growing account by buying out the businesses and rebranding them, which of course means the original owner will be out of the picture, even though he paid money to acquire them, she still felt he was heartless, she knew the media shouldn't be believed but there was no smoke without fire, so it might not totally be true but there might be some truth in what they said about him, and the fact that he towered over her five feet seven-inch self was another thing to worry about, she just couldn't see herself being comfortable in his presence.

"Are you even listening to what I am saying?"

He asked which brought her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, mind coming again?"

"Nevermind, you have always never been interested in my business, you already said it bores you,"

"I didn't mean it that way,"

She said, she wanted to add 'it's not me that said your business bore me'

"I never meant it that way,"

She said again.

"It's okay, have you gotten everything you needed?"

"Yes,"

"Okay, should I take you home? I came to check on the property and decided to stop by here since I have heard about it but never seem how it looks like"

She wondered why he kept saying property, Vhrisma was just a shop, yes it was big but not all that big.

"Wait, are you saying you bought the whole of this building?"

She asked as it dawned on her that he might actually be talking about the whole building.

"Uh, not the building, the estate,"

"What?"

She screamed before clamping her hands over her mouth.

"Why are you so surprised? I showed you the layout, or were you also not listening when I did?"

"Sorry,"

She said. "I need to use the restroom if you don't mind,"

She added, she needed to call Natalie before she messed up.

"Sure,"

She heard him say but she was already on her way to the restroom, she passed by where her bag was dropped, took it, before and went through to the ladies, she brought out her phone as soon as she got in and dialed Natalie 's number, she picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, Lia, what's up?"

She heard her say, she sounded like she had been sleeping.

"Natalie , I met your fiance at the art shop and I don't know if I can just tell him that I am not you, he thinks I am you and I don't wanna mess things up so..."

"Don't tell him, just play along,"

"What? But why? Why can't I just tell him that I am your twin sister?"

"Because I don't want him to meet you until we get married,"

She voiced.

"What does that even change?"

"You won't understand, I don't want to confuse him, he thinks you are Natalie so please be Natalie for me,"

"Nat!?"

Nicole called, she knew Natalie would say this, she just didn't understand how not telling Rafaelwill help him not be confused, telling him now would even help him adjust.

"Lia, can you do me this favor please? Don't tell him, just act like how I will act, I can call you so that you won't spend a long time in his presence and we will talk better when you get home,"

"Okay, fine,"

She reluctantly agreed, she was spending too much time here and Rafael would maybe be waiting for her.

"Thanks twinny,"

"Whatever, please call me in the next five minutes,"

"I will,"

Natalie said before she hung up, Nicolechecked her reflection in the restroom mirror before making her way back to where Rafaelnow stood with the manager of the place, she walked up to them and smiled politely, fuck Natalie for making her go through this, she thought counting the seconds until Natalie calls.

"This is my fiancee, Natalie ,"

He introduced, Nicole, mentally rolled her eyes as she smiled at the manager, thankfully the manager didn't know her name, in fact they have only met a few times.

"Wow, congratulations on your engagement,"

"Thank you,"

She replied checking her phone, it's been over five minutes and her twin hasn't called.

"I came to see the estate and decided to check on here, it's nothing official so you don't have to worry,"

He said politely, wait, she thought looking at him, why was he acting polite?.

"You don't know him,"

The voice in her head whispered and she agreed, she didn't really know him.

"Do you have to leave?"

He asked taking her hand in his, her first reaction was to remove his hands from hers as she wasn't a big fan of sudden touch, but then she remembered she was Natalie , not Nicole, for now, thankfully, her phone rang, the bitch decided to finally call, she excused herself while she took the call.

"Hey, babe?"

"Are you still together?"

What did she expect? That she would suddenly grow wings and fly out of his presence, Natalie has a lot to answer to.

"Yes, oh, mom and dad are back? I am on my way,"

"Means you guys are still together,"

Natalie replied over the phone laughing.

*

"I have got to go,"

She mouthed to him while covering her phone speaker, Natalie was going on about nonsense she couldn't make out.

"Oh, and I still have other things to do in the estate before I leave, I will tell my driver to drop you off,"

"No, no, there is no need, I can manage, thank you,"

"Are you sure? The last time I told you to get home yourself you threw a fit,"

"Natalie !!!"

She thought

"Aha, I must have been Pmsing,"

She voiced, Natalie 's laugh over the phone wasn't funny one bit, neither was the laugh of the manager, who was acting like he wasn't listening to their conversation and failing at it, here she was sweating to her feet in her twin's fiance presence and the bitch was mocking her over the phone.

"Who is on the phone?"

"My sister,"

"Oh, Nicole?"

At least he knew her name, and for some reason, she liked how he called her name.

"Cut it out, Nicole,"

She mentally scolded herself.

"Yup, my parents are back home, I haven't seen them for over a month,"

"I know, you told me,"

"Yeah,"

She replied laughing, the laughter sounded awkward even to her ears.

"You are acting differently, are you sure you are okay?"

Uh-huh, I am fine,"

"Alright, then,"

She didn't wait for him and walked to the reception, gave the list of what she had picked to Grace, passed her phone to her for her number, She typed in without questions.

"I will call you, thanks Grace,"

She said as she exited the shop without looking back.

She let out a huge sigh of relief when she finally entered the cap.

Never in a million years did she imagine her day would feature her sister's not-so-nice but handsome fiance...