Rafa Mantilla
At Saint Claire International School, everyone knows Rafa Mantilla.
Even people who have never spoken to him.
Part of it is simple biology. Rafa is easily one of the most attractive men on campus—second only to Lucas Tan, depending on who you ask.
The other part is Rafa himself.
He is charming, relaxed, and dangerously good at making people feel like they matter in the moment.
Rafa laughs easily.
Flirts easily.
And moves through the social world of Saint Claire with the confidence of a man who has never had to question whether people like him.
Women notice him quickly.
Some of them fall for him.
Most of them eventually realize that Rafa Mantilla’s attention, however warm, is rarely permanent.
Because despite his reputation as the campus flirt, there has always been one woman he takes seriously.
Rafa has pursued Sandra for years with a devotion that borders on reckless. He courts her openly, the way a man does when he believes the future will eventually lead where he wants it to.
Sandra, for her part, has never pushed him away.
In fact, she considers him.
After all, Rafa Mantilla is not only charming.
He is the heir to the Mantilla clan of Negros Occidental, a family whose name carries weight across the sugar provinces of the island. The Mantillas own vast sugar plantations in San Carlos and founded Mandalagan Peak University, one of the region’s oldest academic institutions.
In other words, Rafa Mantilla is exactly the kind of man powerful families expect to see beside their daughters.
But the truth about Rafa Mantilla is simpler than his reputation.
Behind the charm and the easy confidence is a man who loves harder than he should.
And unfortunately for him, the woman he loves understands exactly how powerful that devotion can be.