Chapter 271

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One of the women argued , “ But all our meals were delivered contactless to our doorstep ! We always waited several minutes before picking them up . How could we possibly be infected ? ”
Winston said with guilt , “ It must’ve been me who infected you all . I’m so sorry , ladies .”
Aria paused thoughtfully , then said gently , “ Perhaps the source wasn’t you , Mr. Morton . It might have been livestock and poultry ”
Winston shuddered violently . “ Wasn’t Violet the source of the infection ? ”
Aria explained , “ Violet was most likely infected as well . While human to human transmission of this virus is possible , the likelihood is relatively low with proper protective measures , routine contact usually won’t lead to infection . ”
That was the conclusion Aria had reached through her observations and research over this period .
Winston wanted to ask why she hadn’t spoken up sooner , but he bit back the words . Given how dismissive everyone had been before , they likely wouldn’t have believed her anyway .
Aria had long advised them to wear full protective gear when handling the livestock , but they failed to comply . The same went for herbal preventive treatments …
Winston’s face was etched with remorse as he hung his head , his voice heavy with guilt . “ There were just too many livestock , and the demand for medicinal herbs was overwhelming . I’m sorry . I didn’t follow your instructions . ”
The cost of medicinal materials far exceeded the value of livestock and poultry .
Without concrete proof , the villagers wouldn’t risk spending heavily on medicinal herbs just to save their livestock .
“ Madelyn , thank goodness you insisted on centralized management of the livestock beforehand . Otherwise , the infection would have spread to so many more people , ” Winston said , his voice thick with emotion . “ I … I truly can’t thank you enough . ”
She had never benefited from Jamelan , yet she was the one who gave the most .
Tears welled up in Winston’s eyes .
He had conveyed all of Aria’s instructions to everyone , word for word .
No wonder infections kept rising in other villages , while Jamelan , the initial epicenter , saw little growth in new cases .
At first , they assumed the low infection rate was because the main research efforts were concentrated in Jamelan . Only then did it dawn on them that the real reason was that the source of infection had been kept away from them .
Winston looked at Madelyn and said earnestly , “ Go ahead and treat me . I’ll volunteer as one of your samples . ”
The women nearby , who had been keeping a close eye on the outbreak situation , all nodded firmly in unison when they learned that Betty had fully recovered . “ We’ll volunteer too ! ”
If even someone as elderly as Betty could recover , they were sure they’d get better soon too .
Aria nodded . “ I’ll send a car here for you guys . ”
Aria sent a text message . When the car arrived , two volunteers stepped out and handed her protective suits . “ Ms. Saxon , we’ll go in with you . ”
Aria shook her head . “ I can handle it alone . Don’t worry . I know what I’m doing More and more infected people will be coming to the medical center soon . It’s going to get busy . ”
One of the volunteers said , “ Take care , Ms. Saxon . ”
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After the two got in the car , Aria noticed Owen was still standing there . She frowned . “ Why are you still here ? ”
Owen replied casually , “ I’m no doctor – just decent at cooking . Since lunch is over , I’ll stick around and help out . ”
He helped with data collection and compilation , logistics coordination , supply transport and management , crowd control , disinfection procedures .
He’d been working tirelessly behind the scenes , but then , he just casually mentioned cooking , as if that were all he’d done .
Aria said , “ You’re really downplaying yourself .”
The volunteers who overheard their exchange were stunned .
‘ Ms. Saxon is seriously blunt , ‘ the volunteers thought .
Owen couldn’t help but chuckle , then turned to the volunteers for a protective suit .
As they handed him the items , both volunteers lowered their voices and said , “ Mr. Shaw , Ms. Saxon denies you’re pursuing her . This is your perfect chance to impress her . Don’t waste it . ”
They’d all seen how devoted Owen was and would be more than happy to see him be with Aria .
That was why everyone called him “ Mr. Shaw ” instead of “ Owen “ -using a term like that would not match with Ms. Saxon .
Owen chuckled quietly and said , “ I’ll do my best . ”
‘ Just not right now , ‘ Owen thought to himself .
The volunteers cheered , “ Go for it , Mr. Shaw ! Go for Aria ! ”
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