Calculated Vulnerability

The door to the upstairs study was open. Valerie approached the door and leaned in to listen for a moment, and when she heard no sound, she knocked a few times. "Mr. Sinclair, do you need help?"

The silence persisted, unbroken.

A knot of worry formed in Valerie's chest, the fear that he might have lost consciousness gnawing at her. Without a second thought, driven by a mix of concern and urgency,