Allyson's POV
The hotel room felt suffocating as I stared at the glowing screen of my phone. Kenneth's message burned into my vision, the same words I had memorized after reading them countless times over the past hour.
"Hey Allyson, I hope you haven't changed your mind about dinner. I'll be waiting in the lobby at 7 PM."
My thumb traced the edge of my phone while my mind raced through every possible response. I could craft an elaborate excuse, claim sudden illness, or simply disappear into the Vegas night. Yet something held me frozen in this moment of indecision.
Kenneth represented everything rational in my upside-down world. He was the kind of man my mother would have adored, the type who opened doors and remembered anniversaries. His devotion was unwavering, his intentions crystal clear from our first meeting. Any sensible woman would have fallen into his arms without hesitation.
But I wasn't sensible anymore.
