Intertwine

27.

"What do you mean by Allan meddling me in?" said Ella, all her confidence draining away like a discarded cloak.

She noticed how Ted whispered something to Henry, following by shaking his head in no making her feel more agile.

"I am here because I was selected?" she wanted it to be a statement but it ended up as a question.

The two didn't speak, prompting her to ask again, the fabric of her swim suite got all churned up since she was gripping on it tightly.

"I am not supposed to tell you this." was what Henry said.

"If I'm supposed to do you a favor, then I deserve to know what is it for." Ella replied hastily, Henry signaled the other two to leave, Ted seem hesitant at first, but with a bit force he got out of the hall as well.

"Did he not tell you why he was leaving?" Henry said once it was empty, and Ella felt like her breathe almost stopped, she knew where this conversation was going but she didn't want to believe any of it.

"He had a deal with something in return of favoring you." Henry stated as a fact, Ella wanted to deny it, but at the same time Henry took out his phone displaying the screen towards her.

A voice played along, 

"- you are providing her with a scholarship may as well let her win this time" 

"- if this helps so a girl who would win from your foundation will also be a source of providing us with more federations, so it will be favorable to you if you favor her" 

the voice belonged to Allan.

"Let her win" was the phrase that kept on draining her energy, and the fact that these words were said by the same person who told her that she deserves this all made her feel inferior, her breathe hitched as she stumbled upon her own step.

"I wasn't the one who recorded it." Henry said causing her gaze to shift on him.

"I received this recording few days before, apparently someone had been a traitor in company. There are pictures of you two together as well. If all this information gets out, it could have a serious impact on our organization's reputation." he paused. 

"So if you are to talk about favourism, you are here because of it too." he said it for once, but it rang along Ella's ear as echo. He continued talking about something, but it all went soundless through her.

With a pale face, she sat down once the hall was empty, rubbing both of her hands on her face. Many of the thoughts were lingering over her mind, if it's supposed to be like this then she hadn't ever been the one to deserve it, she may have snatched someone else's spot to crawl up here, or more like brought up here. 

Without a second thought her hands dialed up the suspected number, after a ring or two the voice from the other side gleed with greeting asking her how it went, or if it ended well, he was about to speak more when she interrupted 

"why did you leave?" her voice felt edgy, 
"What happened?" he answered with another question.

"Answer my question first." her hand rubbed on the corner of her nose, she still wanted the things in her head to be wrong. 

"Is everything okay?" his voice dropped in a serious tone, Ella breathed in before speaking.

"I'm going to ask you something and you just have to say yes or no." her hands clenched into a fist. 

"Do you have any involvement in me getting selected?" there was no sound from the other line and when he tried to explain she shut him up repeating the same thing again now with a harsh tone, she could swear she heard him sighing out loud.