Destined Entwining: Capturing My Devoted Beau

Chapter 827: Chapter 417: Bold Hypothesis, Careful Verification (First Update)

Francis Johnson was not only very good at reading people, he was also very good at persuading them.

Of course, everyone in their department had this skill, and he wasn’t even the best of them.

If it were someone else from their department sitting here—say, Big Bear—Kenneth Osborne would probably have already been talked into tears, fully recognizing his mistakes, repenting for what he had done and what he had said...

Francis found it funny inside, but on the surface he still spoke very earnestly: "But Lawrence Winters really did go too far. Even if resigning isn’t that big a deal for the two of you, the fact that she didn’t say a word and insisted on making every decision on her own is quite a headache. Women—when they cling to you like dodder vines every day, it’s really annoying. But when they don’t cling to you at all and insist on deciding everything by themselves, that’s an even bigger headache."

As Francis spoke, he couldn’t help thinking of Sarah White.

In the last years of her life, she hadn’t said a word, made a huge "decision" on her own, and in the end died in his arms.

Francis’s mood sank.

He said to Kenneth, "But you don’t need to feel too guilty. You’re still young, you haven’t been through much. Having these thoughts, taking these actions, is perfectly normal."

"I used to be worse than you. I didn’t even know who the woman I truly loved was. After taking a detour and chasing the wrong person, by the time I wanted to turn back, it was already too late."

Kenneth had just been deeply reflecting on himself.

Francis’s words really were like a sharp sword, stabbing through the blocked wall in front of him and opening a door.

The world outside that door was broader, richer, and also more treacherous and unpredictable.

As he moved forward, his youthful experiences and his original family wrapped around his thoughts like vines, tying him to the past.

Just as he had once sighed that people like Edward Foster and Nathan Sheldon were born with advantages he didn’t have, he had only just brushed against the threshold of their class, while they were already far inside, and some of them had been born right at a finishing line he could hardly even hope to reach.

And not only did he lack over twenty years of experience in that new class, he carried over twenty extra years of experience from his class of origin.

The former was something he had to work hard to learn and acquire, while the latter was a shackle that limited his vision and his thinking.

Kenneth felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head—everything suddenly became clear.

He had always been a top student, not just in learning scientific knowledge, but also in learning how the world works and gaining social experience.

As long as he was given a chance, as long as someone pointed something out to him, he would immediately become aware of his mistakes, then correct his behavior, and work hard to find a better way.

This was a top student’s instinct.

Once he figured these things out, his resentment toward Lawrence lessened a lot. Although he was still very hurt by how unequal their relationship had been, he no longer felt so suffocated.

He was even in the mood to listen to what Francis had to say.

Francis had never spoken about his own love life in front of him before.

Now that he heard him bring it up, Kenneth hurriedly asked, "...And then? Why couldn’t you go back?"

"...Because she was already dead," Francis said calmly. "I’ll never forget her for the rest of my life. She’ll always be the woman I love most."

Kenneth’s heart suddenly clenched.

He couldn’t help imagining how he would feel if Lawrence "died"...

The thought itself was unbearable—just thinking about it made his chest twist with pain, as if someone were trying to rip his heart out.

It was a fate he could not accept.

Kenneth looked at Francis and nodded. "Mr. Johnson, thank you for your words of wisdom. I know what I should do now."

"Mm. You’ve got a lot on your plate right now. Focus first. Get the case sorted out," Francis said. He didn’t want to talk too much about his private life; he had only brought this up on a sudden impulse today, and to help ease Kenneth’s mind.

Kenneth also no longer wanted to talk about relationships; he only wanted to focus on his career.

He finished his meal in a few quick bites, tossed the lunchbox into the trash, and said, "I was just about to come talk to you about something."

"Mm, go ahead," Francis said, eating slowly. He sipped his soup and gestured for Kenneth not to mind him.

Kenneth then repeated what he had discussed last night with Marilyn and Nathan, and added, "I glanced through the book Ms. Marilyn gave me. It’s incredibly useful. This out-of-print book helps me really understand the origins and logic of their code."

He took the book Marilyn had given him yesterday out of his bag and placed it on the high table.

Francis glanced at the yellowed, out-of-print book and deliberately asked, "Marilyn and Nathan? Who are they?"

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!