All Chapters of Betrayal and Reckoning in Hornet's Venom: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

I was overwhelmed by the grief of losing my in-laws. Picking up the phone, I called Vince to tell him the devastating news. "Honey, Mom and Dad are gone. It was painful for them at the end. You should come back to handle their affairs," I said, my voice trembling. To my shock, his response was a sneer. "They're dead? So what? Why make such a fuss?" he snapped. "People die every day. Do you think your parents' deaths are somehow a big deal? Don't be ridiculous!" I opened my mouth to explain that it was his parents who had passed, but he cut me off abruptly. "Why are you even calling me about such a minor thing? Don't bother me unless it's important!" From the other end of the line, I heard a soft, delicate voice interject. "Vince, is it Belle calling to pressure you to go home? Don't worry, I can manage things here with my mom. It's tough, but I'll be okay," Penny said sweetly. His tone immediately softened, oozing with concern. "I'm here for you. Don't worry about a t

Vince's face contorted with rage, the veins on his temples bulging as his voice erupted, carrying a note of disbelief interwoven with anguish. On the report, his parents' names were unmistakably listed. Beneath them were several grisly photographs—images of their swollen, misshapen bodies, stung beyond recognition by hornets. "This can't be my parents," Vince muttered, his voice shaking with desperation. "They would never look like this. It's not possible!" His gaze turned sharp, accusatory. "You must have been bribed by Belle! You're in on her scheme to deceive me, aren't you?" Watching his futile clinging to a fragile hope, I decided it was time to shatter his illusion completely. "Your parents are dead! They died on the very day I begged you for help!" I said coldly. Vince shook his head, his face pale. "That's impossible. Weren't the ones who died your parents? How could it be mine?" I let out a bitter laugh. "I called them Dad and Mom, didn't I? Or is that so hard for

It was as if a bolt of lightning struck Vince. His eyes widened in disbelief. He strode to Penny in a few hurried steps and clamped his hands down on her shoulders with alarming force. "What did you just say? You were at the scene the day my parents had their accident?" Penny froze, stunned by his sudden outburst. I reached into my pocket, pulled out my phone, and tapped on the screen until I found the photo."See for yourself," I said, holding it out to him. Vince stared at the image of his parents, their familiar faces caught in that moment forever. Tears spilled from his eyes without warning. But then he noticed it—a shadow in the background, fleeting but unmistakable. The figure belonged to Penny. Penny scrambled for an answer. "That day… I was just out hiking. I didn't know your parents were on the same mountain. It was just a coincidence." Her voice faltered as Vince's next question struck her like a thunderclap. "You said you disturbed a hornet's nest?" Realizi