Chapter 80 Father and son
The Varon tower loomed over London’s skyline like a crown of glass and steel. Sharp, cold, and untouchable.
Luca stood in the lobby for a moment, jaw tight, his pulse loud in his ears. Every step he took toward the elevator felt heavier. He had made up his mind to speak up, he was done being silent about everything.
When the elevator doors slid open on the top floor, Jean-Paul’s secretary looked up, startled. “Mr. Luca, your father’s in a meeting.”
Luca didn’t stop. “Not anymore.”
He pushed open the heavy oak doors and walked in.
Jean-Paul Varon sat behind his desk, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the City. Sunlight poured in, glinting off polished marble and glass awards. Everything about him, the stillness, the slow, deliberate way he turned his chair screamed control.
“So,” Jean-Paul said with a calm smile, “you’ve chosen your side.”
Luca stopped in front of the desk. His father’s voice was low, rich, and laced with something he’d always hated superiority.
“I didn’t know the truth had sides,” Luca said.
Jean-Paul leaned back. “Don’t be dramatic, son. It doesn’t suit you.”
Luca’s hands curled into fists. “You used your power to destroy a woman’s career just to control Dante’s life. To make him into something you could own.”
Jean-Paul lifted an eyebrow. “Ah. This is about the girl, isn’t it? What's her name? Sienna.” He said her name like it was something dirty. “I wondered how long it would take before she came between my sons.”
“She didn’t come between anyone,” Luca shot back. “You did. You and your Isabelle. I don't understand what you see in her that made you destroy another person's career just to have her close to your first son.”
Jean-Paul laughed softly, standing to pour himself a drink. The sound of ice hitting glass filled the silence. “You think too small, Luca. That doctor was never the point. She was collateral damage.”
“Collateral?” Luca’s voice rose. “You ruined her life! You dragged her through the media, took away her license.”
Jean-Paul turned, drink in hand, eyes sharp. “You think I did all that alone? You think this world works without strings being pulled? You’re still a child.”
“No,” Luca said quietly. “I just refuse to be the kind of man you are.”
That earned him a cold smile. “The kind of man I am built this empire. The kind of man I am made sure you and your brother grew up with everything.”
“Everything except decency,” Luca snapped.
The room went still.
Jean-Paul’s eyes hardened. “Watch your tone.”
Luca took a step closer, anger shaking through him. “You made Dante believe Sienna betrayed him. You used Isabelle to twist everything. You’re destroying him just like you destroy everyone you can’t control like Dante's mother.”
Jean-Paul set down his glass with a soft clink. “You talk like you know what control means. You’ve never earned it. You’ve never fought for anything.”
Luca laughed bitterly. “You mean like you did? By blackmailing, threats, or sending out bribes”
“Enough!” Jean-Paul’s hand slammed the table.
The echo rang through the room.
“You think you can lecture me, boy? You don’t know what it takes to hold power. To keep a legacy alive. You’re too soft. Always have been. That’s why you’ll never run this company.”
Luca stared at him, chest rising and falling. He wasn’t afraid of the man before him anymore. “That’s fine,” he said quietly. “Because I’d rather destroy it than run it like you.”
Jean-Paul’s nostrils flared. “Careful what you say.”
“You’re afraid,” Luca said, voice steady. “Afraid that one day, everything you’ve buried will come to light.”
Jean-Paul gave a slow, mocking smile. “Be careful what you dig up, son. The dirt might belong to your own family.”
Luca froze. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
His father turned away, picking up his drink again. “Go home, Luca. You’re in over your head.”
“I’m not leaving until you tell me what you meant.”
Jean-Paul chuckled softly, taking a slow sip. “You think Sienna’s the first to challenge the Varons? Dante's mother did once too. Look what it cost her.”
Luca’s throat tightened. “Don’t bring her into this.”
Jean-Paul’s tone darkened. “Then stop asking questions you’re not ready to hear the answers to.”
Luca’s temper snapped. He slammed his palms on the desk. “You destroyed Sienna’s life because you were scared she’d support Dante and try to find out what happened the night of the crash, didn’t you? You used your connections to erase her, to silence her. You think you can play God because everyone’s too scared to fight you!”
Jean-Paul’s smile vanished. “Enough, Luca.”
“No!” Luca shouted. “You made Dante your puppet, and you turned that crazy girl Isabelle into your weapon. But this time, you went too far.”
Jean-Paul’s eyes turned icy. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know enough.” Luca’s voice lowered. “And I’ll find proof. Every file, every transaction, every lie.”
Jean-Paul walked around the desk, stopping inches from his son. “You think you can expose me?” His voice was almost gentle like deadly gentle. “You’ll destroy your brother in the process.”
“I’ll save him from you,” Luca said.
The silence between them was electric, heavy with years of resentment and buried truths.
Finally, Jean-Paul smirked again. “You sound just like his mother. She thought love could fix corruption too.”
Luca’s face went pale. “You’re sick.”
Jean-Paul shrugged. “I’m realistic.”
Luca stepped back, shaking. “I’m done here.”
“Walk away, Luca,” Jean-Paul said, returning to his chair. “Before you lose more than your temper.”
Luca turned toward the door but stopped halfway. “You always said family was everything,” he said softly. “But you forgot one thing, family isn’t built on fear.”
He didn’t wait for a reply. He walked out, his pulse pounding, his chest burning with fury and disgust.
The hallway outside felt like ice. Luca barely noticed the assistants who stepped aside as he passed. His thoughts raced with every word, every smirk, and every lie.
“Collateral damage.” That’s what his father had called Sienna.
He hated him for it.
He hated that somewhere, deep down, part of him had once wanted to be just like his father, Jean-Paul Varon.
By the time he reached the main lobby, he could barely see straight. He needed air.
He needed to think.
The glass doors slid open, flooding him with sunlight. He walked down the steps, trying to steady his breathing. The city noise filtered into his ears, but even the view of London's calm skies couldn’t drown the anger burning in his chest.
That was when he heard the sound of heels clicking against the pavement.
“Leaving already?”
The voice is familiar.
Luca turned. Isabelle stood beside a sleek black car, dressed in a different outfit from what she wore at the police station.
She smiled that cold, perfect smile that made people forget she was dangerous. “You’re too late, Luca. Dante’s already mine.”
He stared at her for a long moment, then laughed quietly. “Mine. That’s what you said about every man who ever gave you attention, isn’t it?”
Her smile faltered, just a little. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He took a step closer, his voice steady but sharp. “I don’t know what you hope to gain from ruining my family, Isabelle. I don’t know what your family’s up to here, but you’ll never succeed.”
Isabelle tilted her head, pretending to be confused. “You think too much of me. I love Dante.”
Luca’s mouth twitched into a humorless smile. “Tell that to a three-month-old.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t pretend with me,” he said, his tone turning colder. “You think you’ve won because you’re standing next to him now. But Dante’s not yours. Sienna fits him and always will. Do you notice the difference in his expression when he's with you and when he's with her? When the truth comes out, they’ll find their way back to each other and my brother will be a happy man again.”
For the first time, Isabelle didn’t have a ready answer. Her mask slipped only for a second revealing something raw beneath, fear.
Luca watched it happen, then gave her a small, almost mocking smile. “Careful, Isabelle. The higher you climb, the harder the fall.”
He turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, frozen and staring after him.
She clenched her jaw, watching his figure disappear into the crowd.
For the first time, she wasn’t sure whether his words were a threat or a promise.