Ben looked up from the blueprints he was inspecting and stared at Hux.

'What?' Armitage asked.

'You're whistling,' Ben replied.

'So?'

'So I've never heard you whistle before, it's disturbing.'

'Can't a guy just be happy?'

'Okay, now I'm really scared. What's going on?'

'I meet someone.'

'Ahhhh! You met someone! Good for you! Do I know her?'

'I don't think so.'

'What's her name?

'Rose.'

'That's a pretty name.'

'She's a pretty girl, beautiful in fact.'

'Is this the real deal?'

'I think it might just be.'

Suddenly his phone began to buzz in his pocket. Hux picked it up and smiled when he saw Rose's name pop up on the screen. He answered it right away.

'I was just thinking about you..'

'Why did you do it?' Rose demanded. She sounded upset.

Hux turned away from Ben.

'Rose? I don't understand, what did I do?'

'You know exactly what you did! You lied to me! Armitage Hux, manager and shareholder of First Editions!'

Shit .

'Rose please give me a chance to explain, I never meant to hurt you…'

'So what was this then, some sort of sick joke?'

'No! Rose I would never! Please listen to me.'

'I don't want to listen to you. I never want to hear from you ever again. You're despicable!'

Hux felt sick.

'Please Rose just give me a chance…'

The line went dead.

Armitage felt as if his world had just crumbled around him. He should have told her himself, but how had she found out?

'Erm Hux?' Ben called.

Armitage turned to look at Ben who had put down the blueprints and picked up a newspaper.

'You might want to take a look at this.'

Hux walked over to Ben and looked over his shoulder at a two page spread article about himself and Rose complete with pictures of them walking hand in hand. His blood boiled.

'Is that your girl? She's pretty,' Ben said.

'That was my girl, thanks to this article she wants nothing else to do with me.'

'Ah, so I assume she didn't exactly know who you were?'

'No.'

'And now she's found out in the worst possible way thanks to this Beaumont fella.'

'Beaumont,' Hux snarled as he headed for the stairs.

'Where are you going?' Ben yelled after him.

'I'm going to go and have a little chat with Beaumont Kin.'

'Do you want me to come?'

'Thanks, but I can handle it.'

'Don't do anything I wouldn't do.'

'I'm going to break his nose.'

'That is 100% something I would do, so carry on.'

Hux arrived at Beaumont office and barged through the door.

He saw the shock in the reporters eyes.

'Armitage! To what do I owe the pleasure?'

'You know exactly why I'm here.'

'The article yes, now look, I didn't mean to say anything you know what those gossip columnists are like they draw things out of you…' Beaumont babbled.

Hux was at his side in an instant, he grabbed hold of his collar and dragged him out of his office chair.

'Do you have any idea what you've done?' He shouted.

'Let me go!' Beaumont yelled desperately.

Armitage wanted to hurt him, but then he thought about Rose and how upset she would be if he resorted to violence. He would keep his cool. For her. To avoid causing her further pain. He released Beaumont and threw him back down into his chair.

'You stay away from her Beaumont, you hear me? As far as you're concerned Rose Tico is untouchable.'

Beaumont cleared his throat and straightened his shirt.

'You don't deserve her,' he said quietly.

'Oh, and you do?'

'I was good to her.'

'Is that what you call what you did here? Do you think that was being good to her?'

Beaumont was silent.

'I'll say it one more time. You stay away from her or you'll have to deal with me and we both know I have enough sway in this city to get your ass fired in a heartbeat.'

Beaumont swallows hard and nodded and Hux turned to leave.

'She didn't know who you were, did she?' Beaumont called after him.

Hux ignored him.

Beaumont stood up and came to the door of his office. He shouted down the corridor at Hux.

'You only have yourself to blame for this Armitage! I'm glad I did it. I'm glad Rose can see you for what you truly are!'

Hux walked faster as he exited the building. There was nothing else he could say because Beaumont was right. Rose saw him for what he was now, a disgusting coward. She would never speak to him again and he couldn't blame her. He deserved to be cut out of her life. He had lied to her and to himself. He tried to fool them both into thinking he was something he wasn't, a man that someone like Rose would want to be with. Now he would never regain her trust and he had to accept the fact that he had lost the only girl he had ever truly loved.