Chapter 390

Yaleview Hospital filed a report with the Disease Control and Prevention Center (CDC). Once they were briefed, they arranged for one of their staff members to accompany the team to Horington the next morning.

The blood samples and test reports were also sent to the CDC, hoping their experts could develop a serum vaccine to cure the patients.

After the meeting, Shermaine said to the attending physician of the infected patient, “Please notify me immediately if there are any changes in the patient’s condition.”

“Will do, Dr. Jean,” the attending physician said.

Shermaine nodded in response.

That night, around 8 PM, Ross drove over to pick up Shermaine and Danielle. By the time they got to Jean Villa, it was nearly 9 PM.

Outside, the chill wind howled, but inside, the warm glow of the lights enveloped the family in cozy harmony. Upon seeing them, Janice greeted them with open arms.

“Oh, Danielle. You shouldn’t have brought anything! Come on in and take a seat,” Janice said.

Then, she turned to Shermaine with concern. “Sheary, why aren’t you dressed more warmly? What if you catch a cold?”

Then, Janice asked the housekeeper to bring two cups of hot chocolate for the girls so they could warm up.

It was clear Ruth was thoroughly pleased with Danielle as her future daughter-in-law. She personally set a plate of freshly cut fruit in front of her, then told Ross to set Danielle’s bag aside.

Ruth smiled as she handed a piece of honeydew to Shermaine. “Here, Sheary. Try this honeydew. Is it sweet?”

“Let me try,” Shermaine said.

Shermaine accepted the piece of fruit from her mother with a soft smile. “It’s sweet,” she said, then got another piece with her fork. “Here, Mom. Try some.”

Ruth opened her mouth, smiling warmly as she ate. The honeydew was indeed sweet, and it was even sweeter because Shermaine had fed it to her.

Just then, Ruth’s phone buzzed. She pulled it out and glanced at the screen, her expression shifting subtly, clearly not planning to answer the call.

“Is that Richard?” Shermaine asked casually.

Ruth nodded in confirmation.

Shermaine asked, “Mom, if it’s Richard calling, then why aren’t you picking up?”

“Alright, I’m answering it,” Ruth said. She wasn’t going to answer at first, but since Shermaine had said so, her reservations melted away. She got up and stepped aside to take the call.

Ever since Ruth regained her memories, things between her and Richard had been lukewarm at best. She knew he still hadn’t given up on being with her, and after her divorce from Jameson was finalized, Richard only became more persistent in his pursuit.

Ruth answered the phone coolly, “What do you want?”

“Ruthie, I’m outside your place,” Richard replied.

Ruth’s gaze remained cool. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

Richard replied warmly, “Actually, I just came by to drop off some treats for Sheary and Ross.”

Ruth sighed, “Wait there. I’ll come out and get it.”

Upon learning that Richard was just outside, Shermaine seized the chance to play matchmaker. With a knowing smile, she suggested, “Mom, since Richard is already here, why not invite him in for dinner?”

“Alright,” Ruth agreed.

Richard hadn’t seen Ross or Shermaine in a long time. For one thing, he still felt guilty about what had happened with Ross, so while Ross was hospitalized, he could only visit him secretly. As for Shermaine, she was always swamped with work.

Coming to Jean Villa tonight proved to be the right move. To his pleasant surprise, he ran into Joshua, who was approaching him gracefully at the entrance and then ushered him inside.

Then, as Ruth came out, Richard felt a wave of nervousness. Ruth asked, “Where are the treats?”

“Here,” Richard said.

“Sheary was wondering if you’d like to join us for dinner. But if you have other plans…” Ruth trailed off.

“I’m free,” Richard replied with a smile.

Ruth nodded. “Come on in then.”

With that, a relieved grin spread across Richard’s face. With everyone gathered, they took their seats around the table. The beef stew was already bubbling, releasing fragrant steam into the cozy dining room.

Janice was genuinely delighted. Her beloved grandson and granddaughter had found their significant others, while her other two grandsons were still young, so there was no need to rush.

But then, unexpectedly, Andrew showed up with Clyde in tow.

Following Shermaine’s advice, Clyde repeated his senior year of high school. Lately, he’d grown exceptionally driven, and if nothing unexpected happened, he was set to qualify for a top-tier university in the next SAT.

Andrew, on the other hand, could barely make eye contact with Shermaine now. Back when she offered to write a recommendation letter for Clyde to help him get into a prestigious school, he hadn’t taken her seriously.

He never imagined his niece would turn out to be a national-level prodigy.

Andrew thought, ‘The Professor Jean who’d been making waves all over the internet lately is my niece. And not just any academic–she is a top-tier powerhouse in the tech world. Experts in her field practically tripped over themselves trying to treat her like royalty.

‘That brother of mine really mistook a pearl for a pebble. Just look at him now–miserable, exiled from his own home, and stuck in a relationship so shameful no one dares speak of it. Honestly, cheating with Natalie is the biggest downfall of his entire life.’

As the eldest brother among his siblings, Andrew had passed through Horington on a business trip just the day before and made a point to visit Jameson.

Jameson’s kidney removal and transplant surgery went fairly well. But when Andrew consulted the doctors about the upcoming heart operation, they made it clear that the risks were too high, and the procedure would be extremely difficult.

Andrew thought, ‘If you ask me, since Shermaine has such exceptional medical skills, Jameson should swallow his pride and ask for forgiveness. After all, what could possibly be more important than his own life? Running off to Horington like that is truly an unwise move.’

He had also advised Jameson to ask for their forgiveness. If possible, it’d be best if he could remarry Ruth. Then, everything could return to how it used to be. They’d still be family.

But now, seeing Richard seated beside Ruth at the dinner table, Andrew couldn’t help but think, ‘Looks like there’s no hope of them getting back together now.’

Having shed his former arrogance, Clyde greeted the elders politely. Then, he turned to Shermaine with a respectful smile and said, “Hey, Sheary…”

Shermaine nodded slightly, murmuring a quiet “Mm.”

Janice had someone set two more places at the table. She smiled warmly and said, “Come, sit down. Let’s have dinner together.”

“Sure thing,” Clyde replied cheerfully.

At the dinner table, everyone noticed Andrew’s warm enthusiasm toward Shermaine. Though she remained rather reserved, she was polite enough to humor him.

As dinner was winding down, Shermaine mentioned she’d be going to Horington for a few days starting tomorrow. When Janice and the others asked why, she gave them a brief explanation.

“That sounds pretty dangerous,” Ruth cautioned. “There’s no cure for the new disease yet. You need to be extra careful out there, Sheary.”

“Exactly. And who knows how many other people are infected but haven’t been detected yet?” Janice frowned, her thoughts suddenly turning to Jameson, who was hospitalized in a hospital in Horington right now.

Shermaine reassured them, “I’ll be careful, so don’t worry. Once we identify the source of the infection, we can contain the outbreak in time.”

Ruth understood the science behind it. After all, she had once been a top biology student. Most viruses originated from animals, the environment, or human manipulation.

Joshua hadn’t said much throughout dinner. Instead, he just kept placing more food on Shermaine’s plate.

But once dinner wrapped up, he got to work. He began contacting virologists across the country, pulling strings and rallying experts to kick-start the vaccine development process.

At Consla Laboratory, in Horington, Bruce sat across from an old man in a wheelchair–white-haired, sharp-eyed, and clearly no stranger to power games. Each side had their people standing behind them.

The old man took a slow drag from his cigarette. Bruce said, “Since the research’s gone sideways, we need to stop it right away.”

“I don’t see any problem,” the old man replied, his tone cool.

Bruce narrowed his eyes. “This is Wallington. You really think they’ll let you walk if they find out what you’ve been up to?”

The old man gave a faint smile. “I’m a dying man. I have nothing left to fear. All I ask, Mr. Xavier, is that since you’ve chosen to break our agreement and leave my lab, you no longer have any right to meddle in our affairs.”

Bruce looked up defiantly. “What if I insist on interfering?” he challenged. In his mind, he was already resolved–not only would he interfere, but he would raze this place to the ground.

“Then don’t blame me for taking up arms against you,” the old man warned.