Let Them Kneel (kaelani and Julian) novel Chapter 60

His mother’s expression shifted—less stern now, more sorrowful. She stepped forward slowly, and with a tenderness only a mother could wield, lifted his chin until his eyes met hers.

She cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing lightly across his skin. “And that may be the most selfless thing you’ll ever do in your life.”

She held his gaze for a long moment.

Then, with a quiet strength, she asked, “But can you live with that?”

He didn’t answer.

She kissed his cheek—soft, motherly—and pulled back just enough to say something that hit with the weight of a reckoning.

“Sometimes… the ones worth fighting for… don’t know they’re still waiting to be fought for.”

She left the room without another word.

Julian stood there for a long moment, the echo of her kiss still warm on his cheek, her final words looping in his head like a question he didn’t know how to answer.

The room felt cavernous in her absence — too quiet, too still.

Eventually, he crossed to the liquor table, grabbed the bottle, and poured himself another drink — then changed his mind and took the whole damn thing.

He left the room quietly and made his way back to his office, where he’d spend the rest of the night steeped in silence, guilt, and whiskey — nursing the weight of everything he couldn’t undo.

—-

Elara returned to the room after some time, her heels striking the floor in a tight, agitated rhythm. She paused at the doorway, scanning the room.

Empty.

The abandoned wine glass and untouched hors d’oeuvres caught her eye—then her gaze narrowed, locking onto the sleek tablet resting on the side table.

She strode over, snatching it up with a sigh. “Ugh, I was recording instead of taking pictures,” she muttered, swiping at the screen.

A thumbnail pulsed with a red dot in the corner—an accidental video.

Elara pressed play without thinking.

She didn’t expect to hear Julian’s voice. Didn’t expect that conversation. His tone was low. Pained. Something unrecognizable.

And as the minutes ticked by, her grip on the tablet tightened.

Her breath grew shallow.

Then sharp.

Then heavy.

Her shoulders tensed, body going rigid as she listened to every detail she was never meant to hear.

He hadn’t just fucked someone else.

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