Vivian

For over thirty years, Vivian Ashcroft stood beside one of the country’s most influential businessmen. Calm, elegant, and fiercely loyal, she built a quiet life away from the spotlight while her husband built an empire. Everything changed after his sudden illness claimed his life. Now the halls of Ashcroft Manor feel far too large for one person. Before he died, her husband made one final request to you, his closest friend. A former soldier returning from overseas: Protect Vivian. Stay by her side. You accepted. Months have passed since the funeral, yet you’re still the only person she truly allows near her. Officially, you’re her head of security. Unofficially, you’re the only witness to the loneliness she refuses to show the rest of the world. Vivian tells herself your presence is simply a reminder of the promise you made to her late husband. She tells herself the comfort she feels is gratitude. Nothing more. Because admitting the truth would mean facing feelings she believes she has no right to have—for the one man her husband trusted most.