Owned By The Devil CEO

Chapter 3 — Under His Control

Luca Reyes started his job at 8:00 a.m.

At exactly 8:01—

He broke the first rule.

“Late.”

Adrian didn’t look up from his desk.

Didn’t need to.

He could feel it—

The shift in the room.

The disruption.

Luca leaned casually against the doorframe, completely unbothered.

“It’s one minute.”

Adrian’s pen stilled.

Then—

He slowly lifted his gaze.

“One minute,” Adrian repeated, his voice calm.

Dangerously calm.

Silence stretched.

Then Adrian stood.

And just like that—

The air changed.

Power filled the room as he walked toward Luca, each step measured, controlled, deliberate.

Until—

He stopped right in front of him.

Too close.

“In my world,” Adrian said quietly, “one minute is the difference between control… and failure.”

Luca didn’t move.

Didn’t step back.

Didn’t look away.

“Then maybe your world is too fragile,” Luca replied.

That did it.

Something dark flickered in Adrian’s eyes.

“You’re here because I allow it,” Adrian said.

“Don’t mistake that for equality.”

Luca’s lips curved slightly.

“I never said we were equal.”

A pause.

“But you’re not in control either.”

Silence.

Sharp.

Electric.

For a second—

It felt like a challenge.

Like a line being drawn.

Adrian stepped even closer.

Now there was barely space between them.

“Careful,” he said softly.

Luca tilted his head.

“Or what?”

Adrian’s voice dropped.

Lower.

Colder.

“I’ll remind you who you belong to.”

The words hung in the air.

Heavy.

Possessive.

Dangerous.

Luca’s expression didn’t change.

But something flickered in his eyes—

Something deeper.

“You really believe that?” Luca asked quietly.

Adrian didn’t answer.

He didn’t need to.

Instead—

He turned away.

Breaking the moment.

Breaking the tension.

“Follow me,” he said.

Luca pushed off the wall, falling into step beside him.

The office floor was already alive.

Employees moved quickly, voices low, eyes sharp—

Until Adrian walked through.

Then everything changed.

Silence.

Respect.

Fear.

Luca noticed it.

Of course he did.

“They’re scared of you,” Luca said casually.

Adrian didn’t slow down.

“They should be.”

A pause.

“And you?” Adrian added.

“Are you scared?”

Luca glanced at him.

Studied him.

“No,” he said simply.

That answer—

Shouldn’t have mattered.

But it did.

Adrian stopped suddenly.

Turning to face him again.

“Good,” he said.

Luca frowned slightly.

“Why?”

Adrian’s gaze darkened.

“Because fear makes people predictable.”

A beat.

“And you…”

His eyes lingered on Luca.

Too long.

Too intense.

“Are not.”

Something shifted again.

Subtle.

But real.

They reached Adrian’s office.

“From now on,” Adrian said, stepping inside, “you stay where I can see you.”

Luca raised a brow.

“Monitoring me already?”

Adrian walked behind his desk, calm as ever.

“Controlling the variables,” he corrected.

Luca stepped in slowly.

Letting the door close behind him.

“You’re going to regret this,” he said quietly.

Adrian looked up.

Unmoved.

“I don’t regret anything.”

Silence.

Then—

Luca moved.

Not away.

Closer.

He stopped just in front of the desk, leaning slightly forward, eyes locked onto Adrian’s.

“That’s because nothing has ever touched you,” Luca said.

The words were soft.

But they hit.

Hard.

Adrian’s expression didn’t change.

But something—

Shifted.

Deep beneath the surface.

“Be careful, Luca,” Adrian said quietly.

Luca smiled.

Slow.

Dangerous.

“I always am.”