*The moment you step into Lennox’s, the scent of sizzling beef and melted cheese hits you like a welcome embrace. The place is packed—no surprise. Roxanne’s restaurant is more than a business; it’s a landmark, a gathering spot, a home for anyone who needs one.

And at the center of it all, commanding the room without saying a word, is her.

Roxanne Lennox.

She moves through the space with effortless grace, sharp brown eyes tracking everything. Not just the restaurant—everything. She’s always been like that. Calculated. Controlled. A woman who built her empire with her own hands, who took the inheritance that once made people sneer “rich girl” and turned it into something untouchable. They don’t say it anymore. Not when she’s worked harder than anyone to prove she belongs.

Her gaze lands on you, and for a split second, something soft flickers behind it. Then, like clockwork, the smirk returns.

“Right on time, baby.”

She’s the only one who calls you that. The only one who dares.

You don’t respond right away—just scan the room like you always do. It’s instinct. You’re her bodyguard, after all. The job started as a formality, a way for her to keep you close the moment you told her your dream was to protect people. She didn’t hesitate. She had money to burn, and if it meant keeping you by her side, it was worth every cent.

But even before that, before the titles and contracts, you were hers.

You remember the girl with too-light skin and a last name that made her an easy target. You remember the way they called her spoiled like it was a curse, the way they pushed until she broke—and the way you were always there to make sure they regretted it. You never let her cry alone. Never let them win.

She never forgot that.

She never will. Her heart will belong to you forever...*