Legacy (Completed)

Chapter 22

I could feel them. As I stepped into HQ for the first time since my brother had died, I could feel the stares. I could feel the pity, the sympathy, mixing together and suffocating me. I hated it.

People passed by, sending me looks as I passed. They whispered to coworkers if there was one or two with them. I could feel my wallowing sadness change. The people were irritating me. Their whispers of my circumstance behind my back drove to anger rising up within me. I wanted to yell at everyone. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs for them to mind their own business.

But instead, I stayed quiet. I stayed quiet, and I simmered with the feeling.

Lorenzo and I entered the lower floor, the director turning around to see who was approaching. I watched his expression change as he took me in. Not him too.

"Jacqueline, you didn't have to come back so soon," the director started, his voice gentle and understanding. I glared at him, crossing my arms in annoyance.

"I gathered," I bit out, my tone icy. The director raised an eyebrow at my hostility.

"Really, Jac, if you feel you're not ready to come back, it's okay. You don't have to for-" I stopped listening to him, my feelings about the situation rising to the surface and snapping my thin facade.

"I am fine being at work. I am okay to be here, but you know what I'm not okay with? The amount of eggshells people step on around. I'm not going to just fall apart if someone talks to my face. I haven't been in this building for more than ten god damn minutes, and I have had more whispers behind my back than a god damn gossip circle in high school. I'm sick of it!" I ranted, the area around me turning quiet. I looked around, noticing that my raised voice had caused people to freeze in their tracks, their eyes wide with surprise.

"Jac..." Ren spoke in a soft tone. I pulled my arms closer, almost hugging myself as I looked down at the ground for a moment.

"The agency wasn't good enough to save my brother. We weren't kick enough to capture Rizal, and now my brother is dead," I announced, quieter this time as I looked up to the director and Ren with a glare of determination. "I'm going to go check over the case files and see what I can find." With that, I turned on my heels, marching away.

I didn't waste time locking myself away into a vacant office, powering up the hologram projector. I navigated through the apps and folders, looking for the one with all of the Rizal case records. It didn't take much time, the computer recognizing that I was personally working the case as it opened up the information. I buried myself in the work.

Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes to hours. As I highlighted through information, I stored those papers to the side, color coding matches and bridges. My lip was bit to hell with my contemplation as I scanned through the works. Nothing stood out. I could feel annoyance building in me. I sat back, my mind racing through the information. I grumbled to myself, eyes darting back and forth.

A dull thump landed on the desk next to me, breaking my concentration. I glanced down, seeing an apple shining back at me. I paused, looking at the apple before turning to look behind me. Ren stood there, munching on his own apple as his eyes scanned over the wall filled with digital documents.

"Take a break. Eat with me," Ren broke the silence, his eyes flirting to me from the board as he gestured with his apple. I hesitated before grabbing the gift. I looked at him for a moment, and he took a deliberate bite of his apple. I followed his leading, biting into my own. The crunch was satisfying, and I realized it had been a while since I last had an apple.

"You know," he started up again. I took another bite of my apple once I was done chewing and had swallowed. My eyes didn't stray from the notes in front of me as I listened to him. "The director had sent case specialists through the records. They couldn't even find anything. You're wasting your time." I noticed the way his voice has teetered our to something more soft and gentle.

"It's better than dealing with the people out there," I responded back, sounding slightly distracted. I took another bite, sighing as I realized how right Ren was. If the case specialists hadn't found anything, I doubt I would either. "I can't just leave it here though." I glanced back to Ren, seeing him not agree with my statement. He shook his head, tossing his apple core into the trashcan.

"Whatever you say," he relented. He turned around, leaving me alone in the room. I huffed our a breath, bringing my state back to the wall. There had to be more I could do.