The phone rang at the quietest hour of the night—when even fear usually sleeps.
Lia didn't stir at first. She was exhausted, her body finally allowing rest after days of chaos.
Jay, however, was awake, staring at the ceiling, counting breaths the way she always did when the world felt too fragile. The vibration on the bedside table made her flinch.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Jay turned her head, squinting at the screen glowing in the dark.
Unknown Caller
Hunter Management
Her heartbeat skipped.
She didn't hesitate. She reached over and shook Lia hard. "Lia. Wake up. Now."
Lia's eyes opened instantly—sharp, alert, no confusion. Jay handed her the phone without a word.
Lia answered before the vibration could stop. "This is Lia."
The voice on the other end was strained, shaking, barely holding itself together. "Dr. Bell— I mean— Ms. Del Nova. It's Hunter.
There's been an accident."
The name hit like a physical blow.
Lia sat up slowly. "Explain."
"He was in a crash on the way to the airport.
He wanted to fly out tonight. He said he had to see you. He said it was your birthday."
Jay's breath caught.
"Is he alive?" Lia asked, her voice calm in a way that felt unnatural.
"For now. Internal bleeding. Multiple injuries. We're transferring him to Saint Aurora Hospital. The doctors say… they're not confident."
Lia closed her eyes for a single second.
"I'm coming," she said. "Do not operate.
Keep him stable. Do not touch anything unless it's absolutely necessary."
The call ended.
Jay was already pulling on her jacket. "How bad?"
"Bad enough that they called Dr. Bell," Lia replied quietly.
Jay's hands trembled—but her eyes hardened. "Then we don't waste a second."
Lia grabbed her keys and flung the door open.
"ANGELO!"
Her voice cut through the house like a blade.
Angelo's door opened immediately. He took one look at Lia's face and didn't ask a single question.
"What happened?"
"Hunter," Lia said. "Hospital. Now."
Jay followed, already dialing ahead. "Saint Aurora Trauma Bay. This is Dr. Bell. Prepare an OR."
There was a pause on the other end.
"…Dr. Bell?"
"Yes," Jay repeated. "Both of us."
Silence—then instant movement.
"Yes, Doctor."
The car came alive with a low, dangerous growl.
This wasn't just any car. It was rare.
Recognizable. Powerful. The kind of car people moved away from before it even reached them.
Lia's hands tightened on the steering wheel.
Jay buckled in and glanced at the speedometer. "Lia—"
"I know," Lia said.
And then she pressed down.
The car launched forward violently.
Streetlights smeared into long streaks of light. Vehicles shifted instinctively, drivers pulling aside without being told. Some recognized the car. Some recognized the name. Everyone felt the authority.
Red light.
Lia didn't slow.
Traffic split like water. A traffic officer raised his hand—then froze, stepping back as the car tore through the intersection.
Jay swallowed. "You're running every signal."
"Yes," Lia replied flatly. "And I'm not stopping."
The speed climbed.
The engine screamed, vibrating under the strain. Jay could feel the heat, the danger, the risk—but she didn't tell Lia to slow down.
She trusted her more than gravity itself.
"It's a two-hour drive," Jay said quietly.
"It's twenty minutes," Lia answered.
They became a blur on the highway.
Jay's phone rang again.
She answered instantly. "Jay."
"Dr. Bell," the voice said urgently. "Hunter's blood pressure is dropping."
Jay closed her eyes. "Keep him alive. We're almost there."
She hung up and dialed another number. "Kuya."
Angelo answered immediately. "We're behind you."
"Clear the hospital. No delays. No questions."
"It's already done," Angelo said. "They know who's coming."
Jay glanced at Lia. "They said Dr. Bell like it was a prayer."
Lia's jaw tightened. "It always is."
Saint Aurora Hospital erupted the moment the car screeched to a halt.
Doctors froze. Nurses straightened. Security stepped aside without being told.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Is that—?"
"Dr. Bell?"
"The Bells?"
"The most precise surgeons in the world?"
Jay was already moving. "Clear the trauma bay. Now."
No one argued.
Hunter was wheeled in—pale, broken, barely conscious. His eyes fluttered open when he saw Lia.
"Lia…" he whispered weakly. "I… made it…"
Lia leaned close, her voice low but absolute. "You're not allowed to die. Not tonight."
The operating room doors slammed shut.
Inside, masks went on. Gloves snapped tight.
Outside, Kiefer and the others arrived just in time to see it.
They stared through the glass, stunned.
"Wait," someone whispered. "Why are Lia and Jay—?"
"They're leading the surgery…"
"How—?"
Angelo stood behind them, expression unreadable.
"They're Dr. Bell," he said quietly. "The Bells don't miss."
Twelve hours passed.
No one slept.
When the doors finally opened, Lia stepped out first, exhaustion etched into her face.
Jay followed, removing her mask.
"He's alive," Jay said simply.
Relief crashed through the hallway.
Doctors stared at them with awe.
"The precision…" one whispered. "No one operates like that."
Lia leaned back against the wall, eyes closing briefly.
Her birthday had begun with fear, speed, and bloodless miracles.
But Hunter was alive.
And the world once again remembered why the name Dr. Bell meant survival.