Who is Laevinius from The Forgotten Daughter and what is their importance?

Laevinus is the Roman military officer who cracks down on piracy, raids Eresos, and takes dozens of people into slavery. He notices the beauty of Chloe immediately, and the two fall in love and marry after she saves their lives on a ship during a storm. Under their oversight, their villa flourishes. Called away to Rome by his father, Laevinus is told his daughter and his wife are both dead, and so he remarries, has a new family, and goes to fight in Egypt.