Bound To The Devil CEO

Chapter 3: Jealousy Sparks

By 1:00 PM, Ning Xue’s legs were still tingling. The executive boardroom from this morning had been a battlefield, and her body was still recovering from the "thorough evaluation" Director Gu Tianlang had given her after the investors fled.

She was currently sitting in the passenger seat of a customized, midnight-black Rolls-Royce Phantom. The leather was softer than butter, and the roof above her was a starry night sky made of thousands of tiny fiber-optic lights.

"Where exactly are we going, Director Gu?" Ning Xue asked, keeping her eyes fixed on the tablet in her lap. She was trying very hard to sound like a normal, dignified employee, but the fact that her blouse was missing its top three buttons—hastily pinned together with a gold paperclip from her desk—made it a bit difficult.

Tianlang sat beside her, steering the massive luxury car with just one casual hand. He looked entirely too relaxed. His white dress shirt was slightly wrinkled from where her fingers had gripped him an hour ago, but it somehow only made him look more ruggedly handsome.

"I told you, Xue'er, it’s lunchtime," Tianlang said, his deep baritone voice carrying a lazy, teasing vibration. "And a hungry secretary is an inefficient secretary. I can't have you fainting during my afternoon briefings."

"I wouldn't be fainting if my boss didn't treat the office furniture like a playground," she shot back, her tongue sharp but her cheeks turning a beautiful shade of pink.

Tianlang let out a rich, booming laugh that echoed in the quiet cabin. He reached over, his large, warm hand casually dropping onto her bare knee, his thumb tracing a slow circle right above her stocking line. "Oh? I thought you liked my playground, Secretary Ning. If I remember correctly, you were the one begging me to expand the equipment."

"Shut up!" Ning Xue gasped, her hand flying over his to stop him before he could slide any higher. The car had tinted windows, but the sheer thought of the chauffeur partition being down made her heart race. "Drive the car, you shameless beast."

"As you wish, my goddess," Tianlang chuckled, but he didn't remove his hand. He kept it firmly planted on her thigh, a heavy, possessive weight that made her core pulse with a familiar, addictive heat.

The Rolls-Royce pulled up to *L'Étoile*, the most exclusive, Michelin-starred French restaurant in the Capital. It was located on a glass rooftop overlooking the entire central business district. Usually, getting a reservation here required a six-month wait list and a net worth with at least nine figures.

When the gold-plated elevator opened onto the rooftop, Ning Xue blinked in surprise. The entire restaurant was completely empty. The pristine white tables were set, the crystal chandeliers were glowing, and a dozen waiters stood in a perfect line, but there wasn't a single customer in sight.

"Did we arrive during closing hours?" Ning Xue asked, looking around.

"I don't like sharing my view," Tianlang said smoothly, guiding her forward by the small of her back. "And I certainly don't like sharing you. I bought out the entire restaurant for the afternoon."

Ning Xue rolled her eyes, though a small, secret thrill bloomed in her chest. "Paying for a whole restaurant just to eat a sandwich. The economic law of this city really is just whatever pops into your arrogant head, isn't it?"

"Exactly," Tianlang smiled, pulling out a chair for her at the very edge of the terrace, where the glass wall showed the sprawling city below.

They sat down, and within seconds, a bottle of Chateau Margaux 1982 was poured into their glasses. The lunch started with light banter that felt less like a boss and an employee and more like a high-stakes dance.

"You know, Xue'er," Tianlang murmured, swirling his red wine, his dark eyes locking onto her face with an intensity that made her swallow hard. "You look much better in the daylight. The way the sun hits your porcelain skin... it almost makes me forget how loud you scream in the dark."

Ning Xue nearly choked on her wine. She set her glass down with a sharp clink. "Director Gu, if a single waiter hears you, I am resigning."

"They won't hear anything. They value their lives," Tianlang smirked, leaning across the small table. "Besides, you wouldn't resign. Who would pay off that ten-billion-yuan debt? Who would keep your father out of prison? More importantly... who would satisfy that beautiful, greedy body of yours?"

"You are completely impossible," she whispered, her lips twitching into a reluctant, flirtatious smile. She reached across the table and playfully poked his hard chest with her finger. "A true devil in a designer shirt."

The romance was hitting a sweet, dizzying high point when the quiet atmosphere was suddenly shattered.

The elevator doors chimed open, and a loud, high-pitched voice echoed across the empty terrace. "Oh, come on! What do you mean the restaurant is private today? Do you know who my father is? I am Song Xiaoting!"

Ning Xue’s smile instantly froze.

Walking toward the dining area was a young woman dressed in a loud, neon-pink Chanel outfit. She was drenched in heavy perfume and covered in diamonds. Song Xiaoting was the cousin of Young Master Song, the arrogant heir Tianlang was currently dismantling in the business world. She was famous in the Capital’s high-society for being a spoiled, aggressive brat who got whatever she wanted.

The head waiter was trying to stop her, looking terrified. "Miss Song, please! The entire floor has been reserved by Director Gu himself! You cannot be here!"

"Gu Tianlang?" Song Xiaoting’s eyes lit up like Christmas trees when she spotted the devastatingly handsome billionaire sitting by the edge of the glass wall. She completely ignored the waiter and marched straight toward their table, her high heels clicking loudly against the marble.

"Tianlang! Oh my god, it really is you!" Xiaoting squealed, pushing past Ning Xue’s chair as if the secretary were nothing but a piece of cheap furniture. She leaned over the table, deliberately tilting her body forward to show off her low-cut top right in front of Tianlang’s face. "I've been trying to get your number from my uncle for weeks! What a coincidence meeting you here!"

Tianlang didn't even look up at her. He took a slow sip of his wine, his face completely expressionless. "You are interrupting my lunch, Miss Song."

"Oh, don't be so cold!" Xiaoting pouted, her voice turning into a sugary, fake whine. She reached out her manicured hand, her long red nails aiming directly for Tianlang’s broad shoulder. "My family is throwing a yacht party this weekend, and I absolutely need the most handsome CEO in the city to be my VIP guest. Come on, just give me five minutes..."

Before her fingers could even touch the fabric of Tianlang’s shirt, a slender, porcelain hand shot out and clamped tightly around Xiaoting’s wrist.

The grip was surprisingly strong.

Xiaoting gasped, looking down in shock. Ning Xue was standing up, her icy "Cold Goddess" mask firmly back in place, her dark eyes flashing with a terrifying, vicious surge of territorial jealousy she didn't even know she possessed. Seeing this tacky woman try to put her hands on *her* man made something deep inside Ning Xue's chest completely snap.

"Miss Song," Ning Xue said, her voice sounding like a frozen razor blade slicing through the air. "Perhaps your family’s failing logistics companies didn't teach you basic manners, but Director Gu is currently in a high-profile, private executive meeting."

Xiaoting’s face twisted in fury. She tried to pull her wrist back, but Ning Xue didn't let go immediately, giving it a firm, warning squeeze before releasing her. "You? You're just his secretary! How dare a servant touch me!" Xiaoting hissed, her face turning ugly. "Tianlang, are you really going to let your hired help talk to a high-society heiress like this?"

Tianlang leaned back in his chair, a slow, highly amused, and deeply proud smile spreading across his white-jade face. He didn't say a word to Xiaoting. He just watched Ning Xue, thoroughly enjoying the view of his tiger protecting her territory.

Ning Xue didn't back down for a single second. She stepped forward, her five-foot-seven frame looking incredibly elegant as she looked down at the shorter girl.

"I am his Executive Secretary, Miss Song. Which means I manage his schedule, his assets, and his boundaries," Ning Xue said smoothly, a cold, triumphant smirk playing on her lips. "And right now, you are trespassing on a strictly private boundary. If you don't turn around and get back in that elevator within three seconds, I will have Director Gu liquidate your family's yacht before the weekend even starts."

"You... you...!" Xiaoting stammered, her face turning a brilliant shade of purple. She looked at Tianlang for help, but the Devil CEO didn't even spare her a glance. He was staring at Ning Xue with a look of pure, hungry adoration.

Realizing she had completely lost, Xiaoting let out a loud stomp of her heel, turned around, and practically ran back to the elevator, her fake perfume trailing behind her.

The doors closed, and the rooftop became quiet again.

Ning Xue stood there for a moment, her chest heaving slightly, the adrenaline of her jealousy still pumping through her veins. Suddenly realizing what she had just done—and how possessive she had acted in front of him—her face instantly turned a deep, burning crimson. She quickly sat back down, looking away at the city skyline, coughing nervously.

"I... I apologize, Director Gu. She was being highly unprofessional. I had to maintain the company's image."

Tianlang let out a low, deeply melodic chuckle. He reached across the table, grabbed her chin gently with his fingers, and forced her to look back at his handsome face. "The company's image, Xue'er? Or were you just marking your territory?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," she mumbled, her long eyelashes fluttering in embarrassment as she tried to pull away, but his grip was firm and warm.

"You were magnificent," Tianlang whispered, his eyes dark and heated. "A beautiful, jealous tiger. I didn't know you cared so much about who touches my shoulders."

"I don't care," she lied, though her heart was pounding so loudly she was sure he could hear it. "I just didn't want her tacky perfume ruining my French food."

"Is that so?"

Just then, the waiter arrived, nervously placing a beautiful, gold-leaf chocolate soufflé between them.

Tianlang picked up a small silver spoon, scooping up a perfectly warm, rich piece of the chocolate dessert. Instead of eating it, he moved the spoon across the table, stopping right in front of her lips.

"Open up, Secretary Ning," Tianlang commanded softly, his voice thick with a playful, exhilarating affection. "A good tiger needs to be rewarded for chasing away the stray dogs."

Ning Xue looked at the chocolate, then up at his devastatingly handsome face, her heart melting completely into a state of helpless, romantic dependence. She realized she didn't want any other woman looking at him. She wanted him entirely for herself.

With a soft, defeated sigh, she leaned forward and let him feed her, the sweet chocolate melting on her tongue as she locked eyes with her Devil CEO, completely hooked on his world.