At the Bistro the party was in full swing; all the factory staff were drinking and music was playing low in the background as Carla and Michelle gazed into one another's eyes at the bar over a glass of champagne when Rob and some bimbo he had picked up burst in. He waltzed straight to Carla with a grin on his face and took great delight in asking her what they seemed to be celebrating. As Carla took her eyes off of her beautiful fiancé to look at her brother she couldn't wait to wipe the smug grin off of his face with her latest news. Keeping her newest purchase of a ring hidden behind her back, Carla grabbed Michelle's hand and squeezed tight as she smirked at her unsuspecting brother but he knew just from the look on her face that something was occurring.

"So what's going on?" Rob asked suspiciously with the girl stood firmly at his side.

Carla chuckled and then smiled as she yanked Michelle's hand up and forward in the direction to show it off to her brother. Rob looked at Carla's hand entwined in Michelle's, on which her engagement finger now displayed a huge sparkling diamond and he looked to her in confusion. He was tongue tied and unable to speak but Carla knew he was dying to ask her again what was going on so she took much delight in clarifying the matter.

"So Michelle and I are engaged" she announced with pleasure as Rob frowned.

"You what?" he asked in a surprised way.

"We are engaged Robert" Carla stated extra slowly and in what he swore was a sarcastic tone.

Scoffing Rob couldn't look any more disgusted at his sister. Carla and Michelle were deadly serious about their engagement he could see but he wasn't it; it was a joke. A sick and disturbing joke. He was however not speechless but when Rob did eventually start to air his views to his sister and her lover of sorts he didn't stop to hold back. Everything on his mind came blurting out, all his opinions and sick remarks until he was just left verbally attacking his sister whilst his escort stood idly by his side. It was when a personal insult towards Carla was what he had spurted that Michelle suddenly found her backbone and stood up to him.

"Don't speak to 'er like that!" snapped Michelle as she snarled and pointed her finger aggressively at Rob.

The bistro suddenly fell quiet as the celebrations were interrupted by such a disruptive scene. All eyes turned to focus on Carla, Rob and Michelle in standoff at the bar. Carla had retired suddenly seeming very shy, whereas Michelle was all riled up and ready for confrontation. Her eyes were wide and scary, enhanced by a thick black rim of eyeliner that had become almost her trademark look and they were practically popping from their sockets. All she needed was for Rob to say one more thing out of turn and she was ready and waiting to pounce.

"She is my sister I will speak to her how I like" he informed Michelle smugly.

Not even a second of time elapsed before Michelle lurched forward with hands clawed ready to scratch out Rob's eyes. All that saved him was Nick's intervention. He would not have fighting in his restaurant and so quickly restrained Michelle. Being held back whilst Rob mocked her only angered her more and she tried her best to fight free but didn't manage the action before Rob roughly grabbed Carla's arm and dragged her outside onto the cobbles.

Coming out of the bistro door and into the street Rob was again verbally abusing his big sister. Breaking free Carla stumbled a few paces away from Rob but she was determined not to run away. Inside she had something and someone to love and who loved her worth fighting for and for once in her life she wasn't about to let Michelle slip through her fingers. Glaring at her brother Carla stood taking a deep breath as she tried to anticipate what would happen between them. The atmosphere was heated and tense as neither of them said a word but as always Rob couldn't keep his nose out and had to have the last word.

"You have got to be joking about all this Carla?" he questioned her.

"No Rob, I am not joking. I told you before and I am telling you again now, I love Michelle" Carla firmly replied.

"You can't Carla. You two are mates that is all. We both know you are no lesbian, you don't have it in you!" He yelled.

"Don't tell me what I am or what I am not Rob. You hardly know me"

"You're my sister, I know you well enough to know men are your game" Rob confidently replied. He could see his latest comments had upset Carla but he couldn't resist carrying on. Chipping away at her confidence he started giving his opinion again knowing that he would sooner or later wear her down.

"So you don't fool me Carla and I can see you are spending every minute you spend with her actually trying to convince yourself that this relationship is genuine and I know Carla that you think if you tell Michelle the truth she will leave you and you'll be all alone"

"Don't be so ridiculous Rob" scolded Carla as she awkwardly looked around the street because that doubt was niggling at the back of her mind again. Rob went on still though as Carla felt her eyes watering and she awkwardly tried to hide her real feelings about it all.

"…so you see Carla it is you who is ridiculous. Go on, admit it, no one is here to hear you say it. Go on…" he dared her as he slowly came closer towards her with that mischievous look about him.

Carla was so focused on Rob and channelling all her anger and hate towards him. He was right as usual and every time she thought she had convinced herself that this was a reality and that all her love was for Michelle and no longer for Peter, Rob always came along and made the doubt resurface. This time he had succeeded as usual. Furious and wound up by him she started to lose control of the situation. He kept on, chipping away at her with his daring for her to admit out loud what he knew was true.

"Come on Carla….just admit it" he dared one last time as their eyes became locked in a moment of sibling rivalry.

"Ok, you are right Rob. Does that make you happy?" Carla snapped as he grabbed her and with a grin turned her in the street so her back was now facing the bistro.

Looking over his sister's shoulder Rob could see movement just in the foyer of the bistro and knew it had to be Michelle after Carla. It was cruel of him and he knew the extent of the damage he could cause because he had done it before. Quickly looking back to Carla he listened as she asked him again in a rather emotional state now if he was happy and he smirked.

"I wanna hear you say it though Carla. Admit it to me and I will be"

"I don't love her" Carla muttered almost incomprehensibly as she looked up to the sky and away from her brother before he reduced her to tears.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the bistro door opening and instantly recognised the person emerging as Michelle, closely followed by Nick and the factory girls as they tried to stop her. Now was his chance to really make a meal of things and he wasn't about to miss the opportunity.

"What was that Carla?" He playfully asked her pretending he hadn't heard.

"Ok I admit it. I don't love Michelle" she repeated slowly as she made eye contact with him again and that was when she noticed him grinning ear to ear and looking right passed her. Momentarily she couldn't breathe, she realised right then what he had done and she went to turn as he let go of her. Turning around she saw Michelle, stopped in her tracks and already in tears as she stood under the bistro sign surrounded by everyone who had come to celebrate with them.

"Michelle I didn't mean….." Carla stuttered as Michelle just stared at her.

Upset was an understatement of how Michelle was feeling. Grabbing her engagement ring she struggled hurrying to get it off of her finger and threw it at Carla.

"Oh I think you did Carla" she stated as she marched passed her in a hurry to get away and hide within the safety of her flat. She couldn't believe that yet again under the influence of Rob, Carla had actually admitted to not loving her and this time she really was hurt.

Carla watched as Michelle stumbled away down the cobbles but she couldn't bring herself to go after her at first. She gazed down at the cobbles and at the expensive diamond ring that shone brightly up at her. In the light of the street it twinkled and set a fire burning in Carla's heart. That diamond was precious and so was its owner to her. Reaching down she snatched it up and enclosed it tightly in her palm as she gave it a tight squeeze. She then looked back up to see Michelle disappearing around the corner and she knew if she didn't go after her now there would be no rectifying what she had done.

"I hate you Rob!" she yelled as she suddenly hurried away herself calling after Michelle.