It may be that your cPanel file manager by default hides certain types of files. This is very common, however the fix is very simple.
- Login to your cPanel admin area.
- Click on "File Manager"
- Navigate to the top right hand corner and select "Settings"
- A preferences pop up will appear. Click the "Show hidden files" option and hit save.
The file manager will now refresh and you should be able to see the hidden files such as .htaccess.