Norman's POV
The soft click of the front door closing behind me was usually a welcome sound. It meant the end of a long day at the office, the start of a quiet evening, maybe dinner with Riley. I always looked forward to coming home. But today, the silence that met me in the living room was wrong. Too quiet. My eyes scanned the room, expecting to see Riley curled up on the sofa with a book, or maybe just walking in from the kitchen.
My breath hitched.
She wasn’t on the sofa. She was slumped on the floor, near the fireplace, a book splayed open beside her. Her body was twisted at an awkward angle, her head leaning against the cold stone hearth.
My mind raced. Every muscle in my body tensed. “Riley?” I called out, my voice coming out as a choked whisper.
No answer. No movement.
Panic,
