"Are you really willing to accept me as your wife, Noah?" Natasha asked, finally breaking the silence.
"Of course, Nath," Noah answered simply. He looked into Natasha's eyes, trying to understand where the conversation was heading.
"All right, then. I want our marriage to begin with honesty. No secrets, no things left unsaid," Natasha said.
Noah nodded in agreement. That was exactly what he wanted, too.
Still, his heart tightened slightly. He had no idea what kind of truth his new wife was about to reveal. A small worry crept into his mind. Had Natasha and his twin brother, Adam, gone further than he knew?
But Noah had already made a promise to himself. Whatever the truth was, he was ready to accept Natasha just as she was.
Natasha noticed the subtle change in his expression. She could almost guess what was going through her husband's mind.
With a faint smile and a teasing tone, she said, "If that's what you're worried about, you don't have to be. It's still completely untouched."
Noah's face immediately turned red. He was embarrassed that he had actually doubted his wife, and even more surprised that Natasha had managed to read his thoughts so easily.
"You're so full of yourself. Who said I was thinking about that? Maybe you're the one with the dirty mind. What are you, a fortune teller now, reading people's thoughts?"
His quick response only made Natasha burst out laughing.
It was amusing to see someone who was usually so calm, reserved, and rarely smiled suddenly become flustered like this.
Seeing Natasha's carefree laughter, Noah couldn't help smiling as well. The awkward atmosphere between them slowly began to disappear.
"I did date Adam for a long time, but we never crossed any serious boundaries," Natasha said softly.
"Can I tell you everything? I don't want you to hear about our past from someone else."
Noah nodded.
"For a couple our age, I think our relationship was actually quite healthy. You probably know how difficult residency can be. Free time during those early years was practically a luxury. Sometimes we didn't even go home and stayed at the hospital for three days straight," Natasha explained.
Noah nodded. He knew exactly how hard his twin brother and he had worked while pursuing their specialties.
"So the only time we had together was during our breaks. Fortunately, we worked at the same hospital, so we could at least meet during meal breaks," Natasha continued, her gaze drifting into the distance.
"So you can probably imagine what our relationship was like. But I won't deny that Adam and I did hug, hold hands, and share a few kisses."
Natasha paused and looked deeply into Noah's eyes, searching for any hint of anger or disgust.
Instead, she found calmness and warmth.
Noah looked at her gently and reached for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"Is there anything else?" he asked.
Natasha nodded. She took a deep breath before continuing.
"Nothing else happened during the three years we were together. Then, last year, I went to Bali for a three-day seminar. On the final night, Adam came to see me."
"Adam and I went to the beach to watch the sunset. We chose Tegal Wangi Beach."
"Maybe it was because we were caught up in the moment, or because the beach wasn't very crowded. That was where we shared our first kiss."
Natasha paused again, taking a breath before continuing.
"It wasn't just a simple kiss. It was more intense than that. It was also my first kiss because I had never dated anyone before Adam."
"That night, we had a romantic dinner in Adam's room at the same hotel."
"After dinner, we talked and relaxed on the balcony. Without realizing it, I fell asleep. When I woke up the next morning, I was shocked to find that I had apparently fallen asleep beside him."
"I got angry and immediately started worrying about what might have happened. But instead of apologizing, Adam just laughed. He told me he wasn't interested in taking advantage of someone who was asleep."
A small smile appeared on Natasha's lips as she remembered the moment. But it disappeared almost as quickly as it came.
"Hearing that made me feel relieved. But even though I was relieved, I was still scared."
She fell silent for a moment and took a long breath.
"So when I returned to Jakarta, I immediately went to a clinic with a female OB-GYN. I didn't tell anyone—not even Adam."
"I waited three hours for the results, feeling terrified and anxious. But when the results came back, I was incredibly relieved. Everything was fine."
"It felt like the world, which had suddenly stopped turning, finally started moving again."
"That experience was what made me trust Adam completely. I realized that even when I was vulnerable and he could have taken advantage of the situation, he chose to protect me instead."
"So when he proposed, I accepted without hesitation," Natasha finished.
When she finally stopped talking, she let out a long breath. The relief on her face was obvious.
"Are you disgusted with me?" Natasha asked quietly.
"Why would I be?" Noah asked in return.
"I was afraid that if you ever kissed me, you might think about the fact that I had once been kissed by your own brother."
Noah laughed softly.
"Do you actually want me to kiss you?" he teased, glancing at Natasha beside him.
Her face immediately turned bright red.
"I mean… it's possible that we might kiss someday," she replied quickly, trying to defend herself.
"Really?" Noah teased again.
Natasha's face grew even warmer. She could barely look at him as he shifted slightly closer.
Then, almost on impulse, Noah leaned forward and gave her a brief, gentle kiss.
Natasha froze in surprise, instinctively touching her lips.
Before she could fully process what had happened, Noah leaned closer and whispered near her ear.
"Having a wife like you is making it very easy for me to fall for you, Nath."
He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before standing up and casually walking out of the room.
On the outside, he looked perfectly calm.
On the inside, however, he wanted to run, jump, and celebrate.
The warmth of his breath and his whispered words had left Natasha completely frozen. Her knees felt weak.
Even after Noah disappeared from the room, his presence seemed to linger. The scent of his Giorgio Armani Acqua di Giò Profondo perfume still hung faintly in the air.
"What are you even thinking about, Natasha?" she muttered to herself.
Yet she couldn't stop herself from smiling as she touched her lips, still remembering the unexpected kiss.
"Nath, there's someone selling fish and chips outside. Do you want some?"
Instead of feeling guilty for teasing her, Noah suddenly peeked back through the doorway.
"Noah!"
Natasha grabbed a sofa cushion and threw it at him.
Noah laughed before quickly closing the door.
Outside the room, he was smiling like an idiot. Without realizing it, he touched his own lips as well.
"Sorry, sir. Are you ordering the fish and chips?"
The vendor's voice suddenly snapped Noah out of his thoughts.
"Sorry. Yes, I am. Please make it two portions," Noah replied quickly.
***