THE ALGORITHM

11.

"Look at this..." Bilal trailed off before scoffing. "You see that long crack in the table? You did that."

Penny kept her eyes trained on him without muttering a word. She didn't seem bothered, and that made Bilal furious. He was more than ready to punish her for being rebellious and stubborn. Day by day, he was learning how fearless she was.

"Don't look at me, look at the fucking table."

Slowly, she moved her eyes toward the glass with flared nostrils. Penny stared at the long crack and found it hilarious internally. She felt it would show Bilal that he would never be able to handle her. He would never make her crack and wave the white flag. Yes, she was dressed in white and working as a housekeeper, but he would never be able to make her bend to his will. She was strong, daring, and way too intelligent to follow behind the rest of the mules who occupied the mansion.

"I told you to take advantage of your life being spared...and you're not."

The silence took over the room. Victoria kept her eyes glued on the scene before her. It was rare that Bilal grew angry unless he was genuinely bothered by someone's presence. She tried her best to stay out of his way whenever he blew a fuse. He wasn't always himself, and he would tend to grow dangerous when pissed off. Penny was playing with fire.

Bilal glanced at his fiancée, who quickly darted her eyes elsewhere. He sighed before grabbing his plate and returning it to his focal point. Instead of looking at Penny, he pushed out, "We'll finish this conversation later. In the meantime, stay out of my way. I don't want to see your face for the rest of the night. Do I make myself clear?"

Penny didn't bother to respond. She neared the cart and began pushing it away. It was clear she was upset with the way he was trying to handle her in front of the woman. A loud bang on the glass startled everyone. Victoria's eyes widened as she opened her mouth to say something. However, nothing came out. Penny quickly followed the cause and realized Bilal's fist was resting against the table. He managed to do more damage by deepening the crack.

"You answer me when I ask you a question. Now, do I make myself clear?"

The anger on his face could not be hidden. Penny stared into his eyes, noticing how dark they were becoming. They were like pools of black orbits, and she didn't want to be sucked into them. Instead of poking the bear, she decided to give him a simple answer to get the confrontation over with.

It took a great deal for her to part her lips and speak, but she managed to do so. She glanced at the floors and returned her focus on Bilal before spewing, "Yes."

###

The previous events were all a blur for Penny until she began to remember what had happened. She suddenly jumped out of bed after having a peculiar dream. She didn't remember much, but she did see Luis in her dream. He stood before her in silence, his gaze fixed on her with a deep stare that made her uncomfortable. His handsome features were visible and on display for her to inspect. Luis's ocean blue eyes and shaggy brown hair snatched her into a daze until she felt a tight grasp around her throat. Penny reached for her neck and realized quickly that he was trying to choke her. She struggled for what felt like forever as she tried to pry away from his grip. Luis held a dark expression as he savagely attempted to choke the life out of her. Feeling hopeless, she tried to give up.

Penny didn't know she was dreaming until a spasm of violent coughs awakened her. She held her aching chest while trying to gather the strength to breathe correctly. Her eyes stayed shut tightly while she replayed the familiar scenes in her head, like a loop. Those horrific scenes decided to randomly visit her brain and remind her what she'd been through before waking up at the mansion.