Chapter 20. Truly Fond

The group gathered around to inspect the evidence Caitlin presented. Sure enough, Peter’s shoe sole glittered faintly with the same powder Caitlin had used to mark the area.

“It matches exactly!”

This left no doubt—Peter had taken the snake.

Faced with undeniable evidence and the presence of the police, Peter crumbled. He fell to his knees, trembling as he confessed.

“I... I did it... I put the snake there... Beatrice... I’m sorry! Please forgive me!”

Beatrice’s tone was as sharp as a blade. “Peter, when has The Vanderbilt Family ever mistreated you? Why would you commit such an inhumane act? What drove you to harm Sebastian?”

“I...” Peter’s tearful eyes darted around nervously before he hesitantly admitted, “A while back, Mr. Vanderbilt scolded me harshly... I held a grudge and lost my mind. That’s why I did it...”

At the mention of this, some Vanderbilt family members vaguely recalled an incident months ago. Peter had been caught harassing