THE ALGORITHM

10.

Penny glanced at the white bucket that was apparently hers. She placed her eyes on Hannah before asking, "Are you here working against your will?" After speaking, she grabbed the bucket from the pregnant woman and scribbled her name on it. Instead of writing a witty remark, she just kept it simple with Penny.

"Um...no. I applied for the housekeeper position. After this house is spick and span, I go home at the end of the day."

"Good for you," Penny remarked in a whisper before walking out of the closet.

###

Two men were in a heavy debate when Bilal walked inside. One was short and stubby with a skully, while the other was taller and slimmer. With heavy brows, he stood there and watched them exchange harsh words. They weren't aware of his presence until he cleared his throat. Cecil stood beside him with the same facial expression—perplexed.

"Mr. Lawson." The slim man called out.

"What is this?" Bilal questioned them strictly.

Suddenly, the room went silent. Everyone's eyes pinpointed Bilal.

"We were just having a discussion." The other one called out.

"A discussion?" Bilal examined them from head to toe, taking note of their work uniforms. The men were dressed in tactical gear. They wore cargo pants, tactical boots, and utility jackets. "It seems like you two were about to get into a fight with all the noise being made."

The men didn't bother to respond to Bilal's claims. They knew he was correct. Both stood there with subtle expressions as they glanced at each other. The men were in their mid-twenties, and they worked for the Lawsons. Their duties ranged, so they carried no permanent labels.

"Levi scuffed my shoe when we walked in, so I pushed him." The short one voiced.

"I didn't mean to do it. You were in the way."

"Look at both of you. Arguing like little kids. Cut it out." Bilal focused on them momentarily. He eyed the skully that covered the heavyset man's large head. With a short sigh, Bilal said, "Take your hat off in here. Didn't your parents teach you to remove your hat when you walk inside a house?"

Hesitantly, the stubby man removed his hat, revealing the small locks that covered his head. He held the black hat in his hand, clenching it as he waited for Bilal to finish his lecture.

"Come on, Porter. You know better..." Bilal trailed off with annoyance. He looked back and forth between both men and pushed out, "Get yourselves together. If you have any plans to thrive here...then you need to show me. Playing around and having heated debates won't be tolerated." He focused on the box and asked, "What's in the box?"

"I'm not sure...the name is weird," Levi answered bluntly without thinking. He narrowed his eyes, inspecting the label slip on the container. "It says Mancini. It was sent from Turkey."

"Mancini?" Bilal reiterated as his mind wandered to one particular person.

Bilal instructed the men to open the box. Porter wasted no time pulling out his boxcutter. He sliced the tape, grabbed the flaps, and revealed a pile of bubble wrap. Bilal reached out, pushing the bubble wrap aside, and noticed a dagger lying in the middle of the box, covered by foam. Carefully, he reached out to grab it. A sheath protected the blade. It was bedazzled in diamonds and sapphires. The precious gemstones gleamed vividly as Bilal moved the weapon around, inspecting the dirk. The handle displayed perfect carvings—he was impressed by the intricate pattern filled with water motifs.

Lauren Mancini.

She was the only person he knew who would send such a spontaneous gift. Bilal was a little stunned by the dagger, but he appreciated it. Judging from the overview of the weapon, it was custom-made. The carvings of large waves reflected Bilal's love for water.