Owned by the CEO

The Devil Wears a Suit

♥ Chloe ♥

I hated Jethro Jotham. I hated the way he gave orders as if they were laws written in stone. I hated the way he put me in impossible situations. And I hated how, despite all of that, I couldn’t stop thinking about the way his mouth felt on mine. But most of all, I hated that he had done it again. I glanced at the email glowing on my tablet screen:

✉Jethro: Miss Samuel, effective immediately, you will oversee all departments for the Sovereign Heights Gala. Victor, Sara, and Peter will report to you. Jethro.

Of course. The man hadn’t even bothered to warn me in person. And now, here I was, seated at the head of a conference table with three pairs of eyes staring holes into me. Victor, the marketing manager, sat with his arms crossed and a faint smirk on his lips. He looked amused and somewhat annoyed. Sara, the events manager, tapped her manicured nails against her tablet, her lips pursed. She looked murderous. Peter, head of security, leaned back in his chair with a bored expression. He looked like he couldn’t care less.

“Well,” Sara said finally, her voice sweet as poison. “This is…unexpected,”

“Mr. Jotham wants me to coordinate the departments for the gala,” I said calmly. “It’s temporary, and I’m here to make sure every element runs seamlessly,”

“Temporary or not, this is highly irregular,” Sara replied, her tone sharp. “I have always been in charge of events. It’s literally in my title,” Victor nodded.

“Marketing usually takes point on guest lists and press. Why would Jethro—” he caught himself and corrected with mock politeness. “Why would Mr. Jotham suddenly delegate to you?” I refused to flinch.

“He didn’t delegate. He entrusted me to ensure efficiency across all departments. I’m not replacing either of you. I’m streamlining,” I said, but even to my own ears, it sounded like a pathetic excuse. Sara’s laugh was soft but venomous.

“Streamlining. Cute word for meddling,” she pointed out, and then Peter finally spoke, his deep voice cut through the tension.

“I don’t care who is running the show. I care about getting my security team access to sweep the venue before the first delivery truck pulls up. Can you guarantee that?”

“Yes,” I said firmly. “I have already spoken with the building manager. You will have exclusive access two hours before vendors arrive…and of course, I have scheduled a premeeting for you to view the outside as well as the inside,” Peter nodded.

“Then I’m good,” he said as he leaned back in his chair. But, of course, Victor scoffed.

“She is good? You don’t even know if she is competent,” he said, and I glanced over at him.

“Victor,” I said sweetly. “If you have doubts about my competence, I would be happy to review the marketing schedule with you after this meeting. In the meantime, here is the finalized guest list and seating chart,” I turned my tablet toward him, showing off color-coded categories: VIPs, press, and key investors. I had spent hours making sure no two rival clients were seated too close. Victor’s smirk faded slightly as he scrolled through the details. Sara wasn’t impressed.

“Fine. Let’s see if you can keep up once we are on-site. Are you planning to visit the venue?”

“Yes. This afternoon, as scheduled,” I confirmed as I looked at each of them. But once again, Sara wasn’t impressed.

“Good. You will need it,” and just like that, the meeting was over. I spent the next three hours making sure that I was as prepared as I possibly could be for our on-site meeting. I hated him for putting me in this situation. Sara, Victor, and even Peter knew exactly what they were doing. They weren’t second-guessing themselves. They didn’t feel unprepared. I was so nervous as I met them outside. The car was waiting for us. Just another thing I had to organize. Is this what it was like being a CEO’s personal assistant? I was thankful that the drive to Sovereign Heights was silent. Sara sat beside me in the sleek black car, scrolling her phone like she didn’t have time for my existence. Then she suddenly looked over at me.

“What?” I asked as an image of a piece of broccoli stuck between my teeth came to mind.

“You do realize how high the stakes are, don’t you?” she asked finally, and I sighed softly.

“I do,” I said calmly.

“You drop one ball, and you will be out of a job. Jethro doesn’t forgive mistakes,”

“I’m aware,” I said. I hadn’t been aware, but I had suspected. It was good to have that confirmation, but it also made me sick to my stomach. Sara’s smile was sharp.

“Good. Then don’t make one,” she snapped. The car stopped in front of Sovereign Heights, its sleek glass façade glinting under the late afternoon sun. A valet opened my door, and I stepped out, smoothing my skirt with a deep breath. I was ready. Or at least I had to be. But I frowned as I glanced up at the building. This wasn’t the same place I had been to last week. I glanced at Sara, but she didn’t seem to notice, so I just went with it as we headed inside. Once we were in the penthouse, I admired how beautiful it was. Modern, minimalist, and immaculate. But it still wasn’t the place I had been to before. There was no jacket thrown carelessly over the couch. No slippers waiting by the door. No faint scent of coffee clinging to the air. This felt staged. Cold. Impeccable. It looked like a home, but it didn’t feel lived in. There were traces of Jethro, black-and-white photographs in silver frames, a chessboard arranged mid-game, but even those touches felt deliberate, curated. This wasn’t his real home. It wasn’t where he let down his guard. I once again caught Sara staring at me.

“What now?” I asked her.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I murmured.

“Everything Jethro touches is beautiful,” she added with a knowing look. I didn’t reply. Instead, I followed her through the space as we reviewed vendor placements and timelines. To my surprise, she didn’t challenge me again. Maybe my attention to detail won her over, or maybe she simply enjoyed seeing me squirm earlier. By the time we wrapped up, I felt good. I was organized, confident, and completely in control. Peter had met with the security team, and he was happy with his plans. Victor agreed that everything was going according to plan and seemed happy. Sara, despite whatever reservations she had about me, didn’t say anything more. I wanted to know if they realized this wasn’t his home. I wanted to know if they knew what I knew. But I didn’t dare say a word in case they didn’t know. The last thing I wanted to do was cause an uproar. When we left, I felt much better than I had before. But I was still nervous about the entire operation.

“How did it go?” Jethro suddenly asked as he appeared in front of my desk. I looked up at him, and I had to force myself to look away. The man was far too gorgeous.

“It went well,”

“Good. I expect the event to go well without any issues,” he said before he walked off. I watched his office door close, and I sighed loudly.

“Please don’t let there be any issues,” I whispered before I got back to work.

♥ ♥ ♥