Reborn as a Surgeon: The Mafia Queen's Second Life

"Ten seconds left. Proceed to the lower deck immediately. We're ready to receive," Damien's voice came through the radio, firm and full of confidence.

From behind the rocky hill, a massive steel door slowly opened. Bright white light streamed from inside the bunker, piercing through the thick bushes. Their last hope was now right before their eyes.

Leo pressed the gas pedal to the floor. The ambulance sped into the bunker, followed closely by the military vehicles escorting them from behind. Gunfire still echoed in the distance, but once the bunker doors sealed shut, the sound vanished instantly. Silence. But only for a moment.

Until the medical alarm suddenly blared loudly.

The heart rate monitor beside Lana flashed rapidly. The green line spiked erratically before plunging sharply.

"Leo! Her heart rate is dropping fast!" Alina shouted. Her hands trembled as she checked the IV line.

Her face was pale. Panicked. "She won't hold on much longer!"

Without wasting a second, Leo opened the medical bag. "Hold her. Keep her head steady."

Alina supported Lana's body, trying to stabilize her. "Please hang on, Lana... don't give up now."

Then that long, piercing sound echoed.

Beeeeep—

"Lana!" Alina slapped her friend's cheek. "Listen to me! Stay with us!"

Leo quickly injected adrenaline into Lana's arm. "Don't go... not now."

The next few seconds felt like an endless abyss. Time seemed to stop.

Until... the flatline began to pulse again. Slow. Weak. But still there.

Alina let out a deep breath. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. "That was too close..."

Leo wiped the sweat from his face. "We need to move her immediately. If she crashes again, there won't be a second chance."

The ambulance doors opened. Damien appeared with a team of medics in black uniforms. "Let's go. Everything's ready."

They moved swiftly. Lana was transferred onto a special stretcher. The portable monitor kept beeping softly, warning them that the life before them was hanging by the thinnest thread.

"Clear the way! Critical patient coming through!" shouted one of the medics.

The bunker's corridor felt like a cold steel labyrinth. Emergency lights flickered dimly. Sirens wailed softly in the distance. The tension was suffocating.

"Her blood pressure's dropping again!" Leo checked the monitor quickly. "How much farther?!"

"A hundred meters!" Damien replied while clearing the path and speaking into his communicator.

"ICU, prep the ventilator. Critical patient inbound."

Alina gripped Lana's hand tighter. It was too cold. "Leo... we're running out of time."

"I know. Just a little longer."

As the ICU doors opened, everyone moved silently, apart from the medics' quick instructions. Breathing apparatus, cables, IVs—everything was set up almost simultaneously.

Alina stood frozen in the corner of the room, holding her breath. Her eyes never left Lana, who looked more fragile than ever, as if ready to give up at any moment.

"Please hang on, Lana... I'm not ready to lose anyone else."

Leo stayed on the opposite side of the bed, watching the monitor carefully. Making sure that line of life kept moving, no matter how faint.

Hours passed. Lana finally stabilized. For now.

In the main control room, Leo and Damien stood staring at a large map of the area, marked with red dots showing enemy movements.

"Hiding won't last long," Damien said seriously. "Sooner or later, they'll find a way in."

Leo nodded slightly. "That's why I'm here. I'm not just looking for a safe place for Lana. I want to help defend this place."

Damien gave a thin smile. "So... you're asking for a war?"

Leo looked straight ahead. "If you're ready."

Damien chuckled softly. "I was born for this."

"Tomorrow we start planning. We strike first before Marco can prepare."

Damien clenched his fist. "Understood. And Leo... this time, let me protect you. I've got a debt to repay."

Leo nodded. "It's time to make them regret starting this war."

That night, hidden behind the steel fortress, a counterattack plan began to form.

Meanwhile, in the ICU, Alina remained by Lana's side.

"Where's Doctor Leo?" she asked one of the nurses.

After getting directions to the control room, Alina walked through the luxurious bunker corridor. Her fingers lightly tapped the steel wall.

"Bulletproof walls... incredible," she murmured.

The technology inside the bunker was beyond anything she expected. Everything was automated and integrated. Finally, she reached the exclusive elevator with facial recognition.

Though hesitant, Alina knew there was no other option.

As the doors opened, within seconds she was on the upper floor. The white hallway stretched silently, but the tension was undeniable.

Unknowingly, she stepped on a hidden floor sensor.

BRRTTT!

An alarm blared loudly. Red lights flashed rapidly. Automated weapons aimed directly at her head.

"What the...?" Alina backed away in panic.

In the control room, Damien checked the monitor. Seeing Alina's face, he quickly deactivated the system.

"Leo, looks like your guest got lost," he said with a small laugh.

Without delay, Leo headed to the location. Upon meeting Alina, he looked relieved, though he couldn't hide a faint smile.

"If you were looking for me, you could've just said so. No need to scare the whole base," Leo said calmly.

Alina took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"I was just curious."

Leo chuckled. "Come on, I'll show you the control room."

Alina nodded, following Leo down the white corridor. As the automatic door opened, the room before her looked like something straight out of a movie. Giant screens displayed digital maps, enemy movement data, and dozens of black-uniformed staff working busily.

Damien greeted them with a small smile. "Welcome to headquarters."

Alina paused. In her heart, this all felt ordinary... far from impressive. But of course, she couldn't say that.

"This place is incredible," she commented, keeping her expression admiring.

Damien laughed briefly. "At least it's enough to keep us alive."

Leo added flatly, "As long as you're here, no one can touch you."

Alina turned to him. Leo's gaze was cold, full of certainty. Somehow, it made her heart race faster.

"I'm trusting you with my life, huh?" she whispered softly.

Half-joking. Half-hoping.

Leo said nothing. His gaze remained unreadable.

But just as Alina was about to look away, Leo spoke quietly.

"That depends on you."

Thump.

Alina suppressed a small smile she couldn't hold back. Her heart beat faster, but she tried to stay composed.

"Understood, Doctor Leo," she whispered before turning her attention back to the room filled with screens and digital maps.

But far from there, in a hidden location, someone was speaking softly but clearly over the phone.

"She survived. Lana is stable now. We're currently in a secret base run by a former elite soldier," he reported briefly.

Meanwhile, in the office of a city hospital, a man in a dark suit stopped walking after receiving the report. His face turned pale, then red with restrained anger.

"Doctor Nathan's protégés always seem to get lucky," he muttered bitterly. "Escaped the rebels, now rescued by ex-special forces."

Another man sitting across from him spoke up, his tone suspicious.

"Someone must be helping them. There's no way that girl made it into an elite soldier's base without strong connections."

The gray-haired man fell silent for a moment. His sharp eyes stared at the small map on the table, as if calculating his next move. His many attempts to eliminate Alina had always failed, as though luck kept siding with her.

In a deep, thoughtful voice, he finally said, "We'd better get rid of those protecting her first. Before the time comes to erase Aileen completely."