Have We Met Before?

“You're Doctor Esme?”

Nova stopped walking.

She looked up at the man who had suddenly blocked her way, momentarily taken aback.

For a brief moment, she remained where she was, her gloved hand still holding the patient's file.

But the surprise quickly disappeared.

Her expression returned to its usual indifference as she regarded the man standing before her.

“Yes.”

Her response was brief and curt.

Lucien's brows creased slightly.

Something about this woman immediately caught his attention.

She gave off a completely different aura from Nova.

Yet, for some reason, he couldn't help but feel that strange sense of familiarity whenever he looked at her.

His gaze lingered on her masked face.

“Can you remove the mask?”

Esme remained silent.

She hadn't expected him to be so persistent.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him.

Several pairs of eyes had already settled on them, waiting for her response.

But Lucien's question was clearly not as simple as it sounded.

She wasn't about to give him anything he could use to probe further.

Besides, she didn't owe him an answer.

Her initially calm expression slowly turned cold, her eyes carrying a clear hint of disapproval.

“Excuse me.”

Her voice was colder this time.

Then, without another word, she simply walked past him.

Her shoulder almost brushed his arm, but she didn't even spare him another glance.

Lucien stood there, taken aback.

He had expected a response.

Almost everyone responded when he spoke to them. Even those who didn't particularly like him were careful enough to maintain basic courtesy.

Yet this woman simply looked at him as though he had asked her something that wasn't worth answering.

The atmosphere around them became awkward.

The Callius family members exchanged glances.

One of the elder's sons hurriedly stepped forward.

“Doctor Esme, this is Mr. Lucien Delacroix. He's—”

“So?”

That single word was enough to make the man stop.

Nova's voice was low and calm, completely devoid of any enthusiasm.

She glanced at Lucien once more before turning her attention to the operating room.

“The patient is ready?”

The assistant surgeon beside her immediately nodded.

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Then let's go.”

She turned to leave.

Lucien's eyes narrowed.

“Wait.”

Nova stopped again.

She didn't turn around immediately.

After a moment, she glanced over her shoulder.

“What is it?”

There was no fear in her eyes.

No nervousness.

Not even the slightest hint that she was standing in front of the head of the Delacroix family.

Lucien studied her face.

The resemblance was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Those eyes.

That face.

Even the slight tilt of her head—

It reminded him of the woman he had spent three years sleeping beside.

“Have we met before?”

The question came quietly.

Nova's fingers tightened imperceptibly around the file.

She hadn't expected him to recognize the resemblance this quickly.

But her expression remained unchanged.

“No.”

Her tone was completely firm and certain.

Lucien stared at her.

Her voice was different.

Nova's voice had always been soft, gentle, almost soothing to his ears.

This woman's voice was colder and detached.

And yet...

There was something about it.

Something he couldn't quite place.

His gaze became increasingly scrutinizing.

Nova met his eyes without flinching.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

Then a nurse hurried over.

“Doctor Esme, we're running out of time.”

Nova finally looked away from Lucien.

“Let's go.”

She didn't wait for another response.

She turned and walked away with her entourage of doctors, her steps steady and unhurried.

Lucien remained where he was, watching her disappear through the operating-room doors.

Only after the doors closed did one of the Callius family members let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Mr. Delacroix, please don't mind Doctor Esme.”

Lucien glanced at him.

The man gave an awkward smile.

“She has always been like this. She's rather... arrogant.”

Another family member quickly nodded.

“It's true. We actually had a hard time convincing her to take Father's case.”

“She doesn't usually accept invitations from hospitals, either,” the first man added. “We had to go through several connections before she agreed.”

Lucien's gaze returned to the operating-room doors.

He said nothing.

Arrogant.

That certainly explained her behavior.

But it didn't explain why she looked so much like Nova.

He lowered his eyes for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

He had originally intended to leave after paying his respects to Elder Roland. Yet for some reason, he suddenly didn't feel like leaving anymore.

“Hayden.”

His assistant immediately stepped forward.

“Yes, Boss?”

“Cancel my meeting.”

Hayden blinked.

“The meeting with the branch leaders?”

“Yes.”

Lucien walked over to the row of seats along the corridor and sat down.

“I'll wait.”

Hayden stared at him for a moment.

His boss had just postponed an important meeting to wait for a surgeon who had practically dismissed him.

Something was definitely wrong.

But he knew better than to ask.

“Yes, Boss.”

He stepped aside and pulled out his phone.

Lucien leaned back against the chair, his gaze once again settling on the operating-room doors.

He didn't know why he was so interested in this woman.

Perhaps it was simply because she looked too much like Nova.

Or perhaps he wanted to prove to himself that his earlier suspicion was nothing more than coincidence.

Either way, he could wait.

---

Inside the operating room, Nova stood beside the operating table.

The moment the doors closed behind her, the faint tension she'd felt disappeared.

Her eyes settled on the patient.

“Vitals.”

The anesthesiologist immediately began giving his report.

Nova listened quietly.

Her gaze moved across the monitors before she picked up the scans.

“This is worse than the initial report suggested.”

The other surgeons exchanged nervous glances.

One of them carefully asked, “Doctor, should we postpone the operation?”

“No.”

Nova put the scans down.

“If we postpone it, he won't survive another twelve hours.”

The room fell silent.

Nova looked at the team calmly.

“Let's begin.”