Chapter 1
Nish hurried through the hospital entrance, clutching the strap of her bag as she checked the time on her watch.
"I'm late..."
Her shift had already started five minutes ago.
She quickly greeted a few familiar faces before jogging down the long corridor toward the nurses' station. The smell of disinfectant filled the air as doctors and nurses rushed past in every direction.
"There you are!" her colleague sighed in relief, handing her a patient file. "Room 312. He'll be under your care for the next few weeks."
Nish nodded apologetically.
"Sorry. Traffic was awful."
She flipped open the file while walking.
Patient Name: Alex Carter.
Age: 26.
One year ago, the patient was involved in a severe road accident resulting in permanent spinal cord damage...
Her pace slowed.
Permanent paralysis of both legs.
Wheelchair-dependent.
Multiple surgeries.
Ongoing rehabilitation.
Nish let out a quiet breath, sympathy tugging at her heart. She closed the file gently.
"I'll take good care of him," she murmured.
Stopping outside Room 312, she straightened her uniform before giving the door two soft knocks.
No response.
She waited another moment.
Still nothing.
Carefully, she pushed the door open.
The room was unusually quiet.
Large windows let the morning sunlight spill across the polished floor. Facing the glass was a man seated in a wheelchair, his back turned toward her as he stared silently outside.
"I'm sorry for being late," Nish said softly, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. "Good morning. My name is Nish. I'll be the nurse assisting you from today onward."
The man remained still for a heartbeat.
Then, slowly, he turned his wheelchair around.
The moment their eyes met...
The world seemed to stop.
Nish's breath caught.
Her fingers loosened around the patient file.
"No..."
Her heartbeat thundered painfully against her ribs.
It couldn't be.
Those sharp grey eyes.
That familiar face.
Alex.
Her college senior.
The boy every student knew.
The boy everyone feared.
Cold.
Arrogant.
Untouchable.
The one who could silence an entire hallway with a single glance.
The one she had secretly loved throughout all four years of college.
A love she had buried without ever confessing.
He had never even known her name.
After graduation, they had gone their separate ways, and she had convinced herself she'd never see him again.
Yet here he was...
Not standing at the center of a crowd like he once had...
But sitting quietly in a wheelchair.
The realization hit her harder than she expected.
This couldn't be the same Alex.
The fearless senior who once walked through life as if nothing could ever break him.
Alex watched every flicker of emotion cross her face without saying a word.
Then, with the same calm confidence she remembered from college, he slowly wheeled himself closer.
His piercing gaze never left hers.
He studied her expression... the shock... the pity... the disbelief.
One corner of his lips lifted into a slow, knowing smirk.
"So..."
His deep voice broke the silence.
"You're looking at me like I'm a ghost"
"Or are you just disappointed your college senior ended up in a wheelchair?
