Fabrizio was slowly waking up. Near to his room he could hear a man and a girl laughing, reminding him of the purpose of this establishment.

Had Rose also been working here? Or Jack?

Fabrizio still didn't understand so many things. This Mr Lindsay was quite obviously after Rose and Fabrizio was sure that he had something to do with Jack's current state.

How did this Mrs Pearson fit in with all this?

Surely she wasn't a very pleasant coeval.

"Please, stop…," he snarled, when the voices wouldn't stop. "Let me sleep."

Of course it was no use. He needed to find a way to get out of here and help Jack. He wondered, if he should try to convince this Robert guy to assist him.

After all he seems to be really jealous of every other man around here. I bet he's happy, when I'm gone.

The noises had finally died down.

"Thank god…"

He looked at his still captivated hands. Being forced to sleep sitting in a wooden elbow chair for sure wasn't his idea of comfort. His neck hurt as much as his feet. It was like driving in a train overnight trying to take a nap with ten persons aside in a four people's cabin.

"Oh, no, not again," he mumbled.

The voices had returned. This time they were combined with footsteps, coming here?

Fabrizio's gaze was fixated on the doorknob.

He asked himself what he should tell her now, if it really was her. It had been quite clear that she hadn't believed a word he had said.

"Are you coming with me?" he heard someone asking recognizing it to be the voice of Mrs Pearson.

"Why? Are you suddenly afraid?"

"But, Mr Osborne – envious again I see."

She giggled seemingly enjoying herself.

Then was there some sneering followed by the sound of the opening door.

"So you're awake."

Sure I am. Now could I sleep considering the uproar?

She was looking at him, walking while twirling around her pearl necklace.

Fabrizio took a glance at her once more asking himself about her real age. She was dressed effectively in red and though attractive as he found it was more too show off.

Especially with this embroidery everywhere…doesn't seem right for someone like her or for what she pretended to be.

What Ruth Dewitt Bukater would've thought of her?

He remembered Jack telling him of the expensive clothes and jewellery at the Titanic dinner. Jack always had had an eye for beauty and knew exactly what fitted together.

Mrs Pearson's attire certainly didn't.

She reminded him more of a parvenu desperately performing out as a lady than vice versa.

"Have you reconsidered everything?" she snapped at him.

She was probably about forty?

…or older?

Can't make it out very well with all those makeup she's wearing.

He didn't recall Rose being this heavily covered in powder and paint.

"Now?"

Fabrizio gazed at her hands, which were in fact…shaking?

"Do you think this funny?" she growled.

Have I been laughing?

He didn't remember so. He realized he shouldn't underestimate her, but still her blow came as a total surprise.

"You know, you've to stand up earlier to be match to me!" she hissed.

As if he wouldn't.

Nonetheless she appeared nervous, something which Fabrizio considered odd at first.

Mrs-having-everything-under-control is losing her restraint?

Doesn't seem possible…

Yet she had started to move faster round the small room drawing out a cigarette and hastily lightning it. Fabrizio was glad that he had quit that habit long ago.

"Lygia was also quite…rebellious at first, but she quickly understood that she couldn't compete with me."

Lygia? Who on earth was Lygia?

"Robert believes that I'm overreacting. He's jealous of you," she spat out the words tensely drawing at her cigarette. "Ha! That's an idea! Don't you think so?" she laughed though more forced.

"Am I acting like he needed to be envious of anybody?"

Fabrizio just starred at her. This woman in front of him was different from any other he had ever met.

And undoubtedly no one I would like to be enemies with…and friends with neither.

"He's an ungrateful jerk. He's married you know to some stupid little hussy. But tells me to stay away from you, while he's betraying his wife…," she pointed effectually to her chest. "He's nothing without me. Just like this other…gentleman…Mr Lindsay. I helped him get to his Lygia."

"You're wondering, aren't you, whom I am talking about right?"

Indeed he did.

"I think you know her under the name Rose. I call her Lygia as she's just a pretty little liar."

"Tell me your name," she suddenly said.

"Oh come on, it's much more comfortably talking, when being able to address someone personally."

Fabrizio simply continued looking at her.

So Rose had been what….working here? Her of all people…he wondered if Jack knew anything. For sure he wouldn't be pleased. And Mr Lindsay…he recalled seeing him and Rose in the hospital…what a nasty man that had been.

"My name is Mary Pearson."

Mary? Really? Doesn't suit you at all!

"So alright you won't tell me. Fine!" she stamped her feet.

She's angry.

Is it my fault that things aren't going smoothly for her?

"What did he say to you?"

"Who?" he asked pretending not to know.

"Ah, I see someone has found his voice again. Well of course Mr Lindsay. I mean you don't actually believe that I buy the story with the diamond you told me yesterday. Robert for sure is a stupid jerk, but mind you not Mr Lindsay. He knows better than this."

Fabrizio was tired he wanted to sleep.

Really sleep…in a bed…

Cal's prison had been a five star hotel to this.

"Alright, so you still refuse to remember."

Fabrizio could tell that she was getting edgier by the minute.

"I guess you want to stay here longer?!"

It had been a very bad idea coming here without any real plan. He should've known at first hand that something like this might happen.

"You're nothing without me, you know!" she screamed her ladylike appearance having for once been broken. "I can make you very very sorry, if you don't cooperate. And you know I will."

He didn't doubt that and wondered again what it would take for him to get out of here.

Really Cal was an angel compared to her.

And her shrill voice…ah…it hurt badly, he felt his ear drum exploding.

"Please I haven't slept at all last night," he calmly told her, but was only making her angrier.

"You're unthankful, all of you. Lygia, Robert, Mr Lindsay, you…everybody…you see these…," she hell out her palms to him.

And? Shall I be impressed?

"I've built this house here…this here…my whole life with my own hands and I won't let you or anyone else destroy it."

Fine then let me go.

God, what a sharp voice…and her acting…

Now I guess that's the difference between a queen and a concubine.

"Look I really don't have any idea what you expect from me," he tried to play it casually.

That one earned him another jolt.

Right should've been predictable…

"Don't lie to me," she warned him again. "I've dealt with greater characters than you."

Depends on how you define the term 'great' I'd say. Sleazier is more to it.

"Robert here knows his place. He understands that without me he can start scrubbing toilets again. For sure he's ungrateful and lazy sometimes, but at least he knows better than to betray me."

Fabrizio recalled the spineless guy from yesterday. He had seemed like a male tarantula after…now well.

I couldn't choose between being eaten and having to spend my life with her.

Probably the first would be better.

He couldn't feel sorry for him though as he was a grownup man and thus himself responsible for his actions. He wondered though how much he had to do with the Jack-being-ill-story and if he had covered up for her.

Silly me….of course he had…

"This little whore however..."

Fabrizio turned his gaze to her.

So Rose was churlish for not wanting to work as a whore?

Mrs Pearson surely had a strange specifying of the word.

"Well now to get this over with just for one minute suppose you were telling me the truth and Mr Lindsay really sent you to steal my diamond, how do you think I could take advantage of this?"

Her question surprised him a little bit, but at least she had gotten back to a normal tone.

This diamond doesn't belong to you – he wanted to tell her, but figured it would be better to keep his mouth shut.

"You know, I don't doubt that Mr Lindsay can't be trusted, much less Lygia. This girl has made up troubles from the first day on."

Fabrizio had to laugh inwardly imaging Rose standing up against this woman. Surely Jack wouldn't have fallen in love with a pathetic someone as this Robert quite obviously was.

"I remember Robert telling me that she's pregnant now," she laughed up. "I don't think however that even she knows anything about the identity of the real father."

There it was again that cruel, hateful spit.

She was clearly taking a pleasure in hurting everybody around her.

Rose had been looking distressed at Jack's bedside and Fabrizio now felt sorry for not backing her up. She surely didn't have it easy.

"But of course there's a question now much more interesting."

Fabrizio gazed up at her in wonder.

"Whatever have you got to do with the diamond? Why are you so interested in it?"

….

Rose silently opened the door to Rogers home. She had seen him last in the hospital, when Fabrizio had come and told her that she was betraying Jack. She remembered how he had looked at her. Frankly Rose didn't know Fabrizio very well not to say she knew nothing about him other than he was Jack's best friend.

However, she had thought that relinquishing her life for of luxury, the comfort of getting everything by snapping at finger, just for being with Jack would've convinced him that her motives were honest.

"Hello…Roger, are you here?" she asked putting her coat tighter around her.

Obviously no one had thought about heating the fireplace.

Looking around in the kitchen and living room she still found no sight of him.

"Roger...hello…"

Should've she had felt bad for what she was doing?

Was she using both Jack and Mr Lindsay? In fact she hated this man more than she could ever detest Cal. Cal at least had treated her alright, at least until…until Jack had come along. True until today, when meeting Clarissa Rose really did believe that he was hurt.

Now she felt betrayed.

Cal's talk about friendship and everything…it had gotten on her nerves.

Then his demand again about visiting her mother in prison…he couldn't have been serious.

Even Cal must've known that she would never forgive her mother for trying to murder Jack.

Rose could make out voices coming from upstairs and slowly made her way forward. The door to his room was half open and one could hear panting and screaming, mixed with giggles in between coming from inside.

Rose felt her legs go limp.

"Roger…god…"

It couldn't be.

Not that she loved him in any way, but still…it hurt.

She calmly opened the door already knowing what to expect and came face-to-face with an unknown girl.

"What the hell…?" the girl choked out her eyes showing her confusion and shock.

Roger, who had his back at Rose turned to look in her direction. Immediately he jumped up grabbing the nearest pants and put them on, while the girl drew the blankets up.

"Rose, darling, I didn't think I'd see you so soon."

So first it had been Cal, now Roger. Rose felt like being caught in a time warp.

Rose's eyes remained blank as she continued starring at the girl, whose name Roger gave as Sophie. Rose knowing that it wasn't the girl's fault what had happened here concentrated her hatred against him.

"Rose here is…she is…," he stammered.

Sophie lying in bed had no idea what had suddenly happened.

"I'm obviously not very much to you," Rose stated bluntly.

Not that she cared much. After all Roger wasn't Jack and in fact she was glad having been able to keep him away from her bed, but still she didn't want to be betrayed.

"I'm sorry Miss I didn't want to cause any trouble."

Rose could tell that she was being serious.

"I'm sure Rose here doesn't want to hear this. I guess it would be better, if you'd get dressed now," he told her in disgust as if it had been her fault.

"And what about you, darling?" Rose asked looking down on him with contempt.

Sophie almost started giggling, but stopped dead in her tracks, when both Rose and Roger gave her a look.

Hastily she jumped up, barely forgetting to grab her belongings and stumbled to the bath room to put them on.

"Rose, dear…," he began wanting to touch her cheek.

"Don't touch me!"

"Rose, really you can't have…you can't demand that I…"

Rose just stared at him.

He really believed it. He believed that every woman was just there to pleasure him and be there for his needs and then...he could just throw them away, when he didn't need them anymore. Of course she should've known and inwardly she had.

I just haven't wanted to admit it.

The sound of the door being closed could be heard. Seemingly the girl had left.

Roger had treated her like a thing from the beginning. He had never listened to her needs. He had never stopped, when she told him so. He was…he was worse than Cal.

Yes Cal wouldn't have used anybody like this.

"Rose, come on, we haven't slept in ages. You can't expect me to wait until you're in the mood for it again."

He was dressed by now and motioned for her to follow him outside, shutting the door behind him.

I can't expect honesty?

Of course I can.

They had gone down to the kitchen, where Roger poured himself a glass of wine offering Rose something.

"Oh, sorry I forgot…"

"Rose, dear, say something…"

"How's our baby doing?"

Rose was sure that he didn't care at all, but simply wanted to change the subject.

"I met Sophie last week you know and…"

And how does this concern me?

"Rose, don't look at me like this."

"I've been good to you and caring for you ever since we've met."

You? Good to me? And caring?

Jack has been caring…hell even Cal…but certainly not you.

Rose stared at him, her eyes showing all the hatred she was feeling for him. He and Mrs Pearson they had set her up in this. They had turned her into a whore and now they expected her to be thankful for it.

Now she was even grateful for Sophie and everything, because it had given her the last strength she had needed. In fact she had only wanted to talk with him and find out what he really wanted. Maybe they could've talked things over.

Had she really thought he would comfort her for what Cal had done?

Sophie…it had hit at her at once.

I should've known….

She had finally realized that he didn't to talk at all. In wasn't interested in her. He was just concerned about himself.

The narcissist in him now had been coming out all at once.

"I'm not Rose for you. I'm Mrs Dawson and I expect you not to address me with anything less."

Her mother would've surely been pleased with her at this moment.

Roger somehow sensing that this was going in the wrong direction took another sip of the wine. The lovely self-doubting Rose standing up to him…? What had suddenly happened?

He started laughing not believing it to be true. Surely he would've her back in her place soon again.

Some sweet-talking and then...

Before he knew what was happening Rose had run upstairs again grabbing some of her clothes and swiftly throwing them into the first bag she could find, while downstairs Roger was suddenly realizing what was happening here.

He was being rejected and he didn't like being rejected.

His detestation against her grew stronger and stronger.

He waited until Rose came down the stairs again blocking her way.

"Let me go," she demanded, while his grip on her wrist tightened.