Chapter 13 She Brought This Upon Herself

• Betty was quickly dragged in. As soon as she saw Dylan, she cried out, "Mr. Steiner, I'm innocent. I left because my good-for-nothing son got into trouble again. I had nothing to do with the snake incident. I've always been loyal to your family."
• Ignoring her plea, he gestured to his maids and ordered, "Tie her up!"
• The maids immediately tied up Betty.
• Dylan scanned the hall and spotted a leather belt left by a guest. He handed it to a maid. "Beat her!"
• The maid hesitated briefly before reluctantly complying.
• With a sharp crack, the leather lashed out and ripped into Betty's skin. She rolled on the floor in agony and howled in pain.
• Summer watched with cold detachment. It finally dawned on her that Betty had snuck onto her balcony and left the cobra there. Consequences were inevitable, and Summer felt no sympathy toward her.
• After the tenth lash, Betty was too weak to scream, and she was drenched in sweat. Still, she refused to confess since it would mean admitting to a crime.
• The maid responsible for Betty's punishment spoke up hesitantly. "Mr. Steiner, we can't go on like this. She's frail. If we keep going, she might not survive."
• Dylan didn't want a death on his paws before getting to the bottom of things.
• Just as he was about to order a stop, the maid who had been snooping around outside returned. "Mr. Steiner, I asked around the Southvale District market. Someone bought a poisonous snake from him in the middle of the night."
• Dylan nodded. "Good. Bring that person in."
• Soon, the snake seller walked in stiffly.
• Dylan had the severed snake brought to the hall and asked the seller, "Did you sell this snake?"
• The seller glanced at the snake and nodded. "Yes, that's the one. I accidentally damaged a scale on its tail during the sale. It's definitely this snake, sir."
• Dylan smirked and dragged Betty, who dared not raise her head, to the seller. "Did this old hag buy it?"
• The snake seller wasn't sure what was happening, but he didn't dare to lie. He looked at her and nodded. "Yes, it was her. She said she needed the snake for medicinal wine, so I recommended the most poisonous southern snake I had."
• The evidence was undeniable.
• Dylan flung Betty aside and asked coldly, "Now, what do you have to say?"
• She trembled on the floor but remained silent.
• Summer spoke up at the opportune moment. "There's no point in hiding now. Before the police arrive, confess why you wanted to kill Janice. You watched her grow up, and now you want her dead. How could you be so cruel?"
• "No... I wouldn't harm Ms. Janice. She's like a daughter to me..."
• "Then, who were you targeting? Dad?" Summer pressed on. She knew Betty would turn on her, so she added, "Or did someone instruct you to frame me? Are you going to claim I made you buy the snake?"
• Betty, who had planned to accuse Summer, hesitated. Summer's preemptive accusation left her speechless.
• Seeing Betty's hesitation, Summer turned to Dylan. "Dad, call the police. Someone this malicious should spend the rest of her life in prison."
• "No! Please, no! My two sons need me..." Betty pleaded desperately and begged for mercy from Summer.
• Summer responded calmly, "Then, you better tell the truth. If you do, maybe Dad will show some mercy and let you go."
• Betty was shaken to her core. If she confessed, she might avoid prison. If she didn't, she'd end up taking the blame for Janice. Betty certainly hadn't planned on sacrificing herself for Celeste and Janice.
• "I'll tell you everything..." Betty cried bitterly. "It was Ms. Janice who instructed me. She told me to buy a snake and put it in Ms. Moore's room. I had no idea how it ended up in Ms. Janice's room."
• Summer quickly said, "My room is close to Janice's. The snake must have slithered in from the balcony. I never imagined she hated me so much. She always seemed so nice to me..." Her wide eyes held an innocent look as if she had been deeply hurt by the revelation.
• "D*mn you, old hag! And that little brat! She brought this upon herself!" Dylan sighed heavily and took a few deep breaths to compose himself. "Bring Mrs. Steiner down. I want her to see what kind of daughter her upbringing has created!" He had invested so much in grooming Janice to be a socialite, only to be shocked by her cruel actions.
• Summer tried to console him. "Dad, don't be too angry. My arrival was sudden, and Janice needed time to adjust. I'm sure she'll come around eventually..."
• "You're still defending her? Your kindness will be your downfall! What if the snake had bitten you?" Dylan said.
• Summer shook her head. "Everyone makes mistakes. She is still young. She will be sensible in the future."
• At that moment, Celeste was brought down.
• After hearing the nanny's confession, Celeste's face turned a sickly shade of blue. Anger and disappointment surged within her. She finally realized she had a foolish daughter. Despite Celeste's repeated warnings, Janice insisted on taking action without informing her.
• "I'm sorry, honey. It's my fault for not raising her well enough. When she gets home, I'll have a serious talk with her. Summer, I apologize for accusing you. Please don't stoop to your sister's level. I'll make sure she respects you as family."
• Dylan's anger toward Celeste softened after she apologized to Summer. "Let's put this behind us. We can't let our family matters become public. But this old hag has to go. Take her to the farm in the countryside and make sure she doesn't contact anyone."
• "Okay."
• Betty was forcibly taken away.
• Soon, Dylan received a call from the hospital. "Mr. Steiner, Ms. Janice is awake. She wants to be discharged immediately."
• "Let her do as she pleases!" Dylan snapped. Knowing how ruthless Janice could be, he feared she might harm Summer now and possibly him later. He couldn't believe he had raised such a monster.
• At the hospital, Janice hurried through her discharge papers. She was desperate to get back to the Steiner Estate to tell her father that Summer had sneaked a snake into her room and wanted to kill her.