Chapter 12 Finding the Culprit

• Dylan and Summer anxiously waited outside the emergency room.
• He was particularly distressed. Both daughters were his bargaining chips for career advancement, and they were his own flesh and blood. With Janice's life in danger, he was naturally frantic.
• After what seemed like an eternity, the door finally opened, and a doctor emerged.
• "Doctor, how is my daughter?" Dylan asked urgently.
• The doctor responded solemnly, "She's out of immediate danger, but we'll need to keep her under observation for a few days. The snake that bit her was highly venomous. If another ten minutes had passed, we might not have been able to save her. But how did she come into contact with it? This type of snake shouldn't be found anywhere near Nearon."
• Dylan asked curiously, "What do you mean? We live on an estate in the hills, and it's pretty normal for snakes to show up."
• The doctor shook his head. "This snake is native to the south, and it's not found in the north. If you're seeing them around here, they've likely been brought in. You might want to look into this."
• Dylan's face darkened. "You mean this could be intentional?"
• "Very likely."
• Dylan clenched his fists. "Who would want to kill my daughter?" His gaze involuntarily glanced at Summer, standing beside him, and suspicion clouded his thoughts.
• She was oblivious to her father's thoughts. Sharing Dylan's fury, she exclaimed, "Whoever brought that snake to our estate is a monster. Dad, you must find out who did this. It's attempted murder."
• His suspicion waned as he listened. After all, she was just a naive country girl who had recently arrived in Nearon. She even bravely fought off a snake, so he thought it couldn't possibly be her.
• "Let's go home. I need to find out who brought that snake in."
• At the estate, Celeste, though confined to her room, still had her phone. She quickly learned that Janice was safe, which eased her tense nerves. But hearing that someone had maliciously brought in the snake made her tremble with rage.
• "Mrs. Steiner, Mr. Steiner is back," a maid reported at her door.
• Celeste couldn't bear another minute confined in the room. But the door was locked, and Dylan had the key. She paced anxiously before grabbing an inkstone, smashing the lock, and bolting out of the room.
• As soon as Summer and Dylan entered the house, they saw Celeste sprinting down from upstairs.
• "Honey! It must be this b*tch! She brought that snake from down south to kill Janice. She's the only one who's been there. You've got to stand up for our daughter!"
• Summer stepped back and said grievously, "Aunt Celeste, you've doubted me of wanting to harm Janice. I risked everything, even my life, to prove my innocence and save her... And now you accuse me of bringing the snake here?"
• Celeste pointed at Summer and shouted, "It was you! Stop pretending! Honey, lock her up and interrogate her!"
• "That's enough!" Dylan couldn't take it anymore. "You've already accused her once. Are you going to do it again? I'll investigate this thoroughly and get to the bottom of it. Now, return to your room and stay there! Someone, escort her and make sure she doesn't leave again!"
• "Yes, Mr. Steiner." The maids forcibly dragged Celeste back to her room.
• "Honey, you must believe me! We need to uncover..."
• Summer watched as Celeste was led away. She was convinced Celeste had no involvement with the cobra incident. If Celeste were guilty, she wouldn't be demanding the truth. Summer thought, Perfect… Janice would pay for her stupidity and cruelty!
• She turned to Dylan and said, "Dad, when I came in, I noticed there were a lot of security cameras around the house. You might want to check who's been coming and going from the estate at night. It might also be worth sending someone to nearby places that sell snakes to see if anyone's recently sold a venomous one."
• "You're right." He ordered his household staff, "Do it now! Also, thoroughly search every room in the estate for any poisonous snakes."
• Even though it was only three or four in the morning, Dylan felt wide awake. He was afraid that a venomous snake might suddenly appear.
• Soon, the maid reported, "Mr. Steiner, we reviewed the footage. Only Ms. Janice's nanny left the estate around 11 p.m. No one else was seen leaving after her."
• "The nanny?" Dylan narrowed his eyes. "Bring her in for questioning."