Zeus

Chapter 5

Instantly, Asher's muscular, angular thighs with defined contours were exposed before Rosalind's eyes.

The strong masculine scent hit her, causing her delicate face to flush red. Suppressing her shyness, she looked at the inner side of his thigh and saw a crescent-shaped birthmark. Next to this birthmark were several small rows of bite marks, one of which she had inflicted herself ten years ago.

At that moment, Rosalind suddenly collapsed to the ground as if all her strength had been drained. After her slender body trembled violently several times, she rushed forward and tightly embraced Asher, her tears flowing like a broken dam. "Asher, it's really you! I thought you were dead, that I'd never see you again. How could you be so heartless? Not coming back to see me for ten years—do you know how much I missed you? Where did you go all those years? How much you must be suffering without me here!"

Years of suppressed emotions finally burst forth. The usually elegant and aloof ice queen, Rosalind, had now completely dissolved into tears.

Asher's nose also grew warm. Nothing had changed. Rosalind was still the girl he remembered. Ten years hadn't distanced them at all—if anything, they'd grown closer. Asher silently vowed to protect his sisters with all his might for the rest of his life.

"Rosalind, could you let me put my pants back on?" The soft sensation around his lower body made Asher feel embarrassed. Standing completely naked wasn't appropriate after all.

Rosalind's face turned slightly pink, and she bit her lip. "Embarrassed, huh? What part of you haven't I seen before?"

"No, Rosalind, it wouldn't be good if someone else came by," Asher glanced to the side.

"Oh?" Rosalind quickly helped Asher put his pants back on, then took his hand and led him to her business car. This time, Rosalind drove, with Asher sitting in the passenger seat.

The siblings hadn't seen each other in ten years, so naturally, they had endless things to talk about. Rosalind was most concerned about how Asher had survived the m******e a decade ago and what he had been through since.

Asher didn't hide anything from Rosalind's questions, though he omitted the more fantastical parts, like meeting a wizard.

Even so, it sounded like a fairy tale to Rosalind. She pursed her lips and said playfully, "Are you telling me stories, little brother? Well, no matter who you are out there, you're always my dearest family. I wouldn't reject you for lack of achievement."

Rosalind thought his experiences were made-up stories to save face. Asher couldn't help but smile wryly. Now nobody believed the truth. But seeing the sparkle in Rosalind's eyes, he gave up trying to explain further. As Rosalind said, no matter his identity in the outside world, here, he was simply her brother.

Rosalind wouldn't think more highly of him because he was Lord Zeus of the Pantheon, nor would they distance themselves because he was a beggar. His various identities outside held little significance for them.

After years of fighting, Asher had endured hardship and displacement. Though he held the highest position and was admired by countless people, his heart was filled with loneliness. Like a fallen leaf, he drifted in the wind—free but rootless, unsure of where he belonged.

Being with Rosalind gave Asher a sense of peace. His leaf had finally found its home.

"Your other sisters would be so happy to know you're alive," Rosalind said happily as she drove. "They've dreamed of seeing you."

A faint smile appeared on Asher's face. "Let's keep it a secret for now. I'll surprise them when I see them."

"You're such a little rascal," Rosalind said, pulling up to her talent agency. With childlike glee, she linked arms with Asher, and they walked into the building together.

Immediately, countless curious eyes were cast their way. Rosalind, the ice queen who usually kept people at arm's length, was acting so intimately with a man? And with such a look of affection on her face? Everyone was stunned.

Rosalind ignored them. The first thing she did with Asher was fire her assistant, Luke, without a second thought.

Back in her office, Rosalind closed the door and winked at Asher. "Asher, are you interested in being my assistant?"

Asher chuckled wryly. "I've never been an assistant before. I'm not sure I'm qualified."

"What's there to be afraid of? My assistant's job is pretty easy," Rosalind said, settling into her office chair and draping her shapely legs, clad in black stockings, across the desk. "I only had a work assistant before. I wanted to hire someone to handle my personal life, and now you're here, so why not have you do both?"

"The personal assistant part involves cooking, laundry, massages, keeping me company at night, helping me bathe, and so on—you should know how to do all that. As for the work assistant duties, you can ask my agent, Patricia Walker. She'll teach you. It's just handling some simple tasks; nothing complicated."

With that, Rosalind stretched her legs out in front of Asher, playfully sticking out her tongue. "So, how about you give me a leg massage to get started?"

"We're still at the office. Isn't that a little... inappropriate?" Asher hesitated.

"What's inappropriate? My legs are killing me after all that walking today," Rosalind said, rubbing her legs against Asher. Reluctantly, Asher started to massage her legs, feeling the soft, warm touch.

Creak!

At that moment, the door burst open, and a smartly dressed woman rushed in. "Rosalind, who is that man you brought in? Do you know you're a public figure? Every move you make is scrutinized. You can't just be this intimate with a man like that!"

Hearing this, Asher quickly withdrew his hand, but it was too late. The woman who had suddenly burst in saw him massaging Rosalind's legs.

The sophisticated woman stopped, her gaze hostile toward Asher. "Who is he?"

"Patricia, don't misunderstand. He's my brother, Asher. He was just giving me a massage," Rosalind explained softly, lowering her leg. "I just fired Luke, and I want to replace him with my brother. You shouldn't have any objections, right? You're my agent; I needed to let you know."

Patricia began to scrutinize Asher, her expression thoughtful. "Rosalind, I don't think he's suitable to be your assistant."

"Why?" Rosalind's beautiful eyes fixed on Patricia.

"It will affect your reputation," Patricia said seriously. "You're about to star in Hollywood's annual blockbuster, 'Whispers of Time,' and you're under intense scrutiny. Every move you make will be magnified and interpreted. If you replace your assistant with such an unknown figure, what will the outside world think? They'll assume you're keeping a young lover or having a secret affair. Will that affect Whispers of Time's box office performance? Will it damage your public image? I hope you'll think this through."

"Firing Luke is fine, but his replacement needs to be someone well-known in the industry. Let the public know you're changing assistants to better prepare for your role, not to satisfy personal desires. I'm being blunt, but it's for your good. I hope you'll consider this, Rosalind."

Patricia emphasized the words "young lover," her intention toward Asher crystal clear.

"It's not as serious as you say! It's just changing an assistant; it won't have that much of an impact," Rosalind waved her hand dismissively. "I've decided. Asher will be my assistant. Patricia, take him to familiarize himself with the workflow."