The Last Manuscript

Ashereign Montero awoke in an unfamiliar place, her heart racing as she struggled to piece together the fragments of her memory. “Where am I?” she whispered. The last thing she remembered was staying late at the office... Before she could gather her thoughts, the sound of footsteps echoed through the dimly lit room. She turned slowly, her pulse quickening as two figures emerged from the shadows. "Is that... Mr. DeLeon? And who’s the other guy?" she wondered, her mind racing. "Miss Montero? What are you doing here?" one of the agents asked, his voice stern yet laced with a hint of curiosity. "I—I don’t know..." she stammered, lowering her gaze to the floor, a wave of confusion washing over her. "Do you realize this is a crime scene?" The agent's words pierced through her fog of uncertainty, causing her to look up in shock. "A... a crime scene?" she echoed, disbelief etched across her face. Agent Rocco, the second agent, nodded gravely. "For the time being, you’re coming with us, Miss Montero." Ashereign exhaled sharply, her mind racing. "Why would I?" "Because, for now, you’re the prime suspect," Agent DeLeon replied, his expression unreadable. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Excuse me!? Me?? A suspect? You’ve got to be kidding me, Agent DeLeon!" "And who else do you suggest we arrest? You’re the only person found here. Either you’re the suspect or you’re linked to this crime," he stated matter-of-factly. "But if I’m the suspect, why would I stay here? This is ridiculous!" Ashereign protested, her voice rising in frustration. Agent DeLeon sighed, clearly exasperated. "I’m sorry, Miss Montero. Protocol is protocol. Rocco, please escort her." "Yes, sir," Rocco replied, stepping forward. "I'm sorry, Miss Montero. Please come with us," he said gently, though his tone was firm. With no other choice, Ashereign followed, her mind racing with questions. She had no idea what had happened after she left the office, and now she found herself entangled in a crime she didn’t commit. The thought of being taken to SCID—the Special Crimes Investigation Division—sent a chill down her spine. As they walked, Rocco glanced at her. "Before we proceed to the interrogation room, you’ll need to clean your wound first," he said, gesturing to a small cut on her arm. She nodded silently, her mind still reeling. Agent DeLeon’s presence felt like a weight on her shoulders, a reminder of their tumultuous history in high school. Who would have thought her number one enemy would be the one arresting her? As they approached the small, sterile room, Ashereign steeled herself. She had to find a way to prove her innocence, to uncover the truth behind the chaos of the night before. But first, she needed to figure out how she had ended up here in the first place. Inside the interrogation room, Ashereign sat across from the two agents, her arms crossed tightly as she stared at the table, the cold surface reflecting her growing frustration. She still couldn't remember what happened the night before, and the weight of uncertainty pressed heavily on her chest. Somehow, out of everyone who could've been assigned to this case, it had to be him—Agent Gabrielle DeLeon. “Miss Montero, I’m asking you one more time: what were you doing in that area?” he pressed, his tone unwavering. She rolled her eyes before answering, exasperation creeping into her voice. “I already told you, Mister DeLeon, I don’t know, okay?” Agent DeLeon maintained his straight face, unyielding. “Then how did you get your wound?” “I don’t know either,” she shot back, her patience wearing thin. “You don’t know?” Gabrielle raised his brow, skepticism evident in his expression. “Yes! All I know is I was in my office and went to the nearest milk shop to buy milk. That’s it!” she insisted, trying to grasp the fragments of her memory that felt just out of reach. “Then if you don’t know how you ended up in that place, any clues? Anything you remember other than going to the nearest milk shop?” he pressed further, his voice steady. Ashereign’s shoulders sagged in defeat. She was seriously at her breaking point. “I don’t know, okay? I don’t remember anything! Keep pressuring me, and I’ll surely lose it!” The tension in the room thickened, a palpable silence hanging in the air. Everyone knew that the DeLeon and Montero families had been great partners in business, but they didn’t expect to see Agent Gabrielle and Ashereign arguing like this. Just then, the door swung open. “Agent DeLeon?” Gabrielle paused, his attention shifting. Ashereign let out a sigh of relief. “Agent Thyrone, what brings you here?” “Jaden said he had an emergency, so he couldn’t make it,” Thyrone replied, handing over a file to Gabrielle. Gabrielle nodded, then turned back to Ashereign. “Wait, Ashereign, what are you doing here?” Ashereign’s eyes sparkled with hope. Finally, Thyrone was here. “We found her at the crime scene,” Gabrielle explained, his tone still serious. Thyrone’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? And wait, how did you get that wound?” he asked, concern etched on his face. “I don’t know! I really don’t know!” Ashereign exclaimed, her voice rising in frustration. Thyrone sighed, clearly aware of the implications. “Ashereign, be honest with me. Where were you last night?” “At my office,” she answered quickly, her heart racing. “Okay, then where did you go after that?” he pressed. “I went to the nearest milk shop, and I don’t know what happened next,” she replied, her voice trembling slightly. Thyrone closed his eyes for a moment, trying to process the situation. Meanwhile, Gabrielle remained silent, listening intently. “Ashereign, tell me the truth. Did you do it again?” Thyrone’s question hung in the air, heavy and accusatory. The room fell silent, the weight of his words sinking in. Even Ashereign didn’t expect the question. “Do what?” she asked, her gaze fixed on the table, avoiding his eyes. “You clearly know what I’m saying,” Thyrone pressed, his voice low but firm. Ashereign bit her lip, struggling to find the words. She couldn’t utter a single response, the fear of what he might be implying paralyzing her. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Gabrielle interjected, his brow furrowing in confusion. The accusation had shifted the atmosphere, making Ashereign look even more suspicious. “Thyrone, not here,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, a plea for discretion. Thyrone’s expression softened slightly, but the tension remained. “We need to talk about this, Ashereign. You can’t keep running from the truth.” As the weight of the moment settled around them, Ashereign felt the walls closing in. She had to find a way to clear her name, but first, she needed to confront the shadows of her past that threatened to consume her. Thyrone looked at Ashereign, her gaze still fixed on the table, as if it held the answers to her turmoil. “Reign, you didn’t even call me or Jimmy and Ace. What do you expect me to think? Ash, I told you to call me whenever you’re going home late.” Ashereign remained silent, her mind racing. The panic was creeping in, and her body was betraying her. Her hands began to tremble, and she could feel the tremors spreading through her limbs. Thyrone and Gabrielle noticed her distress. “Ashereign? Ash—” Thyrone started, concern lacing his voice. And then, just like that, she fainted. “Hurry, get the car!” Thyrone shouted, urgency in his tone. Gabrielle sprang into action, grabbing his keys and rushing to the parking lot. He couldn’t comprehend what was happening in the interrogation room. Why had Thyrone asked her if she had “done it again”? He sighed, memories of their high school rivalry flooding back. Who would have thought that he would be taking her to the hospital now? “Get in,” he said, opening the back seat door for Thyrone to lay Ashereign down. He drove as fast as he could, the city lights blurring past them. “Ashereign, be okay, please,” Thyrone whispered, his voice barely above a murmur. “Thyrone,” Gabrielle said, breaking the tense silence. “What do you mean by ‘did you do it again?’” He knew he didn’t have the right to pry, but maybe he could help. “Just drive for now. The doctor will explain later,” Thyrone replied, his focus unwavering on Ashereign. They finally arrived at Montero Healthcare Hospital, the familiar building looming over them. Gabrielle and Thyrone waited anxiously outside the room, the sterile smell of antiseptic filling the air. By coincidence, Jimmy, Ashereign’s friend and a doctor at the hospital, happened to be passing by. “Thyrone? Gabrielle? What are you two doing here?” Jimmy asked, his brow furrowing in concern. Thyrone sighed, while Gabrielle remained silent, the weight of the situation pressing down on them. Jimmy glanced toward the room and saw a familiar figure through the glass. “Wait. Why is Ashereign in there? Thyrone, what happened to her?” Thyrone let out a small sigh. “They found her at the crime scene.” “...What??” Jimmy’s eyes widened in disbelief. Thyrone nodded, his expression grave. “What exactly happened?” This time, Gabrielle stood up, his voice steady. “We received a call from a local saying there was a body at the abandoned building. While we were searching, we happened to find her there.” Jimmy looked from Ashereign to Thyrone, his expression shifting from confusion to concern. “Don’t tell me she did it again?” Thyrone remained silent, and Jimmy sighed, his expression confirming that he already understood what had happened.. “You guys keep saying that. What exactly does it mean?” Gabrielle finally asked, frustration creeping into his voice. “You don’t know?” “Do I look like I do?” Gabrielle shot back, his patience wearing thin. Thyrone remained silent, his gaze fixed on the door. Jimmy let out a small sigh before explaining. “Back in high school, Ashereign heard someone calling for help inside an abandoned building. She went in to help, but things turned against her. She called Jack for help.” He paused, the memory clearly painful. “He didn’t come.” Gabrielle frowned. “Why?” “He said he was busy taking Mia shopping.” Gabrielle’s eyes widened in disbelief. “His girlfriend was in danger, and he chose to go shopping?” Jimmy scoffed. “That’s Jack for you.” “And after that?” Gabrielle pressed, desperate for answers. “Her trauma started getting worse. Whenever she’s under extreme stress, she wanders without realizing it. Sometimes she doesn’t even remember where she went.” Gabrielle finally understood. “So that’s what you meant earlier.” Jimmy nodded, his expression somber. Gabrielle looked at Ashereign through the glass window of the hospital room. She looked completely different from the Ashereign he remembered. The girl who used to argue with him over the smallest things, the top student who always seemed to have an answer for everything, was now lying unconscious in a hospital bed. He never knew. All these years, he thought he understood what kind of person Ashereign Montero was. Maybe he was wrong. As he stood there, watching her fragile form, a wave of guilt washed over him. “She's awake.” Gabrielle immediately turned his attention toward the hospital room, hope flickering in his chest. But before he could move, Jimmy stepped closer to the door, blocking his path. “Give her a minute.” “Why?” Gabrielle asked, frustration creeping into his voice. Jimmy looked at him seriously, his expression firm. “Because right now, she’s not your suspect.” Gabrielle frowned, confusion clouding his thoughts. “Then what is she?” Jimmy glanced back at Ashereign, who was slowly regaining consciousness. “She’s my patient.” Gabrielle didn’t respond, the weight of Jimmy’s words settling heavily on him. He looked through the glass one last time, taking in Ashereign’s pale face and the way her eyes fluttered open, searching for clarity. Then he stepped away from the room, his mind racing with unanswered questions. Too many questions. Later that evening at the SCID, Gabrielle sat at his desk, the case files from the abandoned building spread out in front of him like a chaotic puzzle. He flipped through the reports, searching for anything that might explain what had happened that day. Victim. Evidence. Witness statements. Nothing seemed to connect, nothing made sense. Until one particular file caught his attention, drawing him in like a magnet. Gabrielle stopped, his heart racing as he stared at the photograph attached to the file. There, written across the evidence board, were two words that sent a chill down his spine. THE ENCOUNTER “The encounter...?” He stared at the words for a moment longer. Something about them bothered him. But he couldn't figure out why...