The Gentleman

Dominic John Pierceton is the perfect gentleman-a tall, devastatingly handsome American ambassador with a chiseled jawline, piercing blue eyes, and a carefully measured charm that commands every room. His life is built on control, his reputation spotless, his restraint unwavering. But the moment he meets Maria Elenna "Mela" Dellos Valles-Montejo-the shy, eighteen-year-old daughter of the Philippine President with a quiet grace that hides her own buried desires-his world tilts in ways he never anticipated.

Mela's innocence is disarming, her blushes revealing what her lips won't dare say. She's only known men like him in the pages of her sister's forbidden romance novels, but Dominic's attention stirs something deeper, something that makes her heart race and leaves her wanting more. For Mela, the stakes are just as high; she knows how hard her mother worked to become president, and risking her family's reputation is the last thing she wants. Yet, with each encounter, she finds herself caught between loyalty to her family and her undeniable pull toward the ambassador.

Dominic tells himself he must keep his distance, yet every stolen glance, every accidental touch ignites a desire he can't ignore. Bound by duty and a flawless public image, he's always been in control-but with Mela, that control begins to slip. Behind closed doors, propriety and restraint give way to something darker, a chemistry neither of them can resist. Their worlds are at stake, and yet, neither can bring themselves to walk away. With each encounter, the pull between them grows stronger, promising a forbidden romance that will test how far The Gentleman is willing to go-and just how much Mela is willing to risk.