*James Blackwood's POV*
We sat in silence for what felt like hours but was probably only minutes. The weight of what we'd realized pressed down on me like a physical thing, making it hard to breathe.
Finally, I stood up abruptly. "I need to cancel the dinner."
"What?" Patrick looked up at me.
"I can't go through with it. I'll call Kelvin tomorrow and tell him something came up. A work emergency. Anything." I started pacing again. "I can't face her, Patrick. Not after twenty-five years. Not like this."
"James-"
"And if I'm right, if it is Elizabeth and Helen is my daughter, then I definitely can't have that dinner. Can you imagine? All of us sitting around a table pretending everything's normal while-" I couldn't finish the sentence.
Patrick stood up and grabbed my shoulders, forcing
