The Temporary Wife (BongLeni)

Chapter 9

Later that night, Bongbong couldn't shake the memory of Leni's expression. It haunted him, gnawing at his conscience. He wanted to check on her, but he respected her space.

The next morning, Bongbong found Leni at the office, looking uncharacteristically cold. "Leni, we need to go over the final details for the meeting in El Nido today," he said, his tone gruff.

"Right. The meeting where we're trying to convince a streaming service owner na bigyan tayo ng deal," she replied flatly. "Good luck with that. Kailangan nila 'to more than you do."

Bongbong raised an eyebrow, surprised at her attitude. "Tama ka. Kailangan nila 'to. Pero so do we. We can't afford to let this opportunity slip away."

"Maybe you should find someone else to charm them," she shot back, refusing to meet his gaze.

He sighed, clearly frustrated. "I can't do this without you, Leni. You know the ins and outs of the proposal better than anyone. I need your expertise."

"Expertise?" she echoed, crossing her arms defensively. "All you need is someone to smile and nod habang ikaw ang nagde-demand. I'm not your puppet, Bongbong."

"Then what are you, Leni?" he snapped back. "This isn't just about you and me. This is a crucial deal that could make or break our project"

Leni stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. "Then maybe you should have thought about that before you pulled the stunt you did in front of your family. I'm not interested in playing the role of the supportive employee when you made it clear how you really see me."

"I didn't mean to make you feel that way" Bongbong shot back, frustration spilling over. "I thought we were on the same team"

"Team?" she scoffed. "I'm just the employee who knows too much. And what do you want from me? A parade for being here?"

He ran a hand through his hair, visibly annoyed now. "Look, I'm trying to make this work. Can't you at least pretend to care about the deal?"

"And you think I care about saving your precious deal?" Leni's voice dripped with sarcasm. "I've got my own priorities, and none of them involve playing nice with your family or your fiancée."

Bongbong's expression hardened. "You know that's not fair. We both have our roles to play in this, and you're better than that."

"Better than what? Sitting here and pretending we're in this together?" she shot back. "I'm here to get the job done. That's it."

"Then do your job, Leni. We're leaving for El Nido in an hour, and I need you to have that contract ready," he said, his voice cold but laced with an underlying plea.

"Fine. But don't expect me to hold your hand during the meeting," she replied, her grumpiness matching his.

As they headed to the airport, the tension in the car was thick. Bongbong tried to break the silence. "Alam mo, they're counting on us to close this deal. If we can convince them, we can negotiate terms that work for both parties."

"Sounds like a you problem," Leni retorted, staring out the window.

"Leni," he said, his voice softer but still firm. "This deal is worth a lot more than just a contract. It's about our future projects, our reputations."

She turned to him, her eyes cold. "You're the one who wanted this partnership. I'm just here to do my job. Don't make it sound like I owe you something."

"Maybe you don't owe me anything," he replied, his grumpiness returning, "but you owe it to yourself to take this seriously. You're more than just an employee, and I know you know that."

"Whatever, Bongbong," Leni muttered, exasperated. "I'm not in the mood for your pep talks."

Once they arrived in El Nido, the beautiful surroundings did nothing to lift Leni's spirits. The waves crashed against the shore, the sun glinted off the water, but all she felt was frustration.

As they settled into the villa, Bongbong instructed her, "I need you to book a meeting room for tomorrow. We should be prepared to showcase our proposal."

"Sure, boss," she replied flatly.

"Can you at least act like you want to be here?" he pressed, his voice tinged with exasperation.

Leni shot him a glare. "I'm here for the business, not for your entertainment, sir. Don't expect me to make this fun."

The next day, they met with the owner of the streaming service at a nearby café. Bongbong was all business, laying out their proposal in meticulous detail. Leni sat across from him, arms crossed, offering little more than the occasional nod.

"Mr. Santos, we believe this partnership will benefit both parties," Bongbong stated confidently. "Our projections show a significant increase in viewership, which translates to higher revenue for your platform."

Leni chimed in, her voice steady. "At sa marketing strategy natin, makaka-target tayo ng demographics na hindi pa naabot ng current content niyo."

The owner leaned back, intrigued but not yet convinced. "That's a compelling argument, but we need to see concrete data to back it up. Are you ready to provide that?"

Bongbong exchanged a quick glance with Leni, a flicker of uncertainty passing between them. "We can have that ready by the end of the day," he replied, masking his concern with professionalism.

"Good. Let's discuss the specifics," the owner said, shifting gears.

As the negotiation continued, Bongbong's grumpy demeanor began to slip away as he regained his confidence. Leni, however, remained guarded, keeping her distance both physically and emotionally.

Once the meeting wrapped up, Leni sighed in relief. "Well, that went well," she said, turning to Bongbong.

"Thanks to you," he acknowledged, a hint of gratitude softening his voice.

"Don't make it weird," she replied, rolling her eyes. "This doesn't change anything between us."

Bongbong's expression hardened again. "Right. Just business," he echoed, his tone returning to its previous grumpiness.

As they headed back to the villa, Leni felt the weight of the unresolved tension between them. They both knew they were good at what they did, but their personal feelings kept getting in the way.

"I don't want to keep doing this dance," Bongbong finally said, breaking the silence. "Can't we at least be civil with each other?"

"Civility isn't exactly my strong suit, especially with you," Leni shot back, her eyes narrowing.

"Then what do you want from me?" he asked, his frustration evident.

"Nothing," she replied coolly. "I want to do my job and get this deal done. That's all."

"Fine," Bongbong said, his tone clipped. "Let's just focus on the business. No distractions."

"Agreed," Leni replied, feeling a rush of relief that they could at least keep things professional—at least for now. But deep down, both of them knew that the underlying tension was far from resolved.