Steffy continued to stare at Hope with amusement, all whilst Hope looked as though she were ready to fling herself at Steffy and choke the life out of her if she could.

"Why?" she snarled as she advanced into the room, waves of rage practically roiling off her as she advanced.

Steffy raised an eyebrow, completely unaffected by Hopes show of bravado, her lips curling slightly at the thought that Hope might be trying to intimidate her.

"Because it was about time someone did! And it was way past time that the world knew the real Hope Logan! That she's not the perfect little moral princess she like to present to the public, we both know that's a lie. What's the matter Hope, you don't like it now that your husband, along with the entire world, knows exactly what type of woman you are? You don't like it that they know exactly what you're capable of? Well tough, you messed with me and my life one time to often, and you got exactly what you deserved! When I think back to all those times you tried to shame me in some way, whether for my body, or my actions. You! You of all people, actually having the utter gall to try to shame another, let alone me, the woman who has done, and has given you so damn much! You sicken me, and I'm just embarrassed I that I fell for it! Well sweetheart, not anymore, this time I've made damn sure everyone knows exactly who and – more importantly – what you are!" she answers with a look of contempt.

"It wasn't like that! I was drunk! I didn't know what I was doing! It wasn't my fault! It just happened!" screamed Hope as she advances to stand opposite Steffy.

"You had no right! You've destroyed my life, my career, you're disgusting, vile, despicable, just like your brother!"

"Oh, Thomas is disgusting now, is he? Why is that Hope? Because he's finally got back the son you stole from him?"

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she continued, "or is it because you now realise he's over you, that he and Douglas have both seen you for who you really are, and now you can't manipulate either of them anymore?"

Steffy nods in agreement with her own thoughts. "That's it isn't it? That's the real problem for you, there's a couple less Hope Logan fans to protect you from retaliation from others and sing your praises, a couple less people to grovel at your feet of clay," she sneers.

"My god, you are so much like your mother it's unbelievable. As my grandmother would say, you're simply just another slut from the valley, just like your mother. I guess the apple really didn't fall far from the tree, hey Hope!"

A scream of pain and anger at Steffi's words escape from Hope. Every word of what she's saying is like a knife to Hopes soul, until finally, she can't take it anymore, she lashes out, trying to slap the cruel look off of Steffi's face before she can defend herself, but before she can reach her a hand grabs her wrist, un-noticed by either woman, Marius has returned.

"My apologies Steffy, but I couldn't leave you alone in this type of volatile situation so I came back, and just in time it seems."

Hope rounds on him, "You! I thought you were my friend. I trusted you! But you're just like the rest, you betrayed me, and for what, Her?" She yelled pointing at Steffy, hate etched in every line of face.

"Trust me, she's not worth the effort, why do you think every man she ever loves leaves her? Because she's worthless!" she spat.

Enough!" snaps Marius, anger now showing clearly on his face.

"Hope, I have tried to help you, to advise you with your problems, but when Steffy told us what you had done to her, including all that had happened with her first husband, I could not, in good conscience, support you over her, not if I hoped to retain any form of self-respect I might have. What you did was beyond reprehensible, and on that note, I think you should leave."

"I hate both of you!" she screams as she wrenches her arm out of Marius' hand and heads to the door where she briefly turns back.

"If you think this is over Steffy, then think again, by the time I'm finished with you, both you and your precious company will be destroyed!" she storms out leaving Steffy staring at Marius with a very angry look on her face.

"I had that! You shouldn't have interfered!" she snaps.

Marius crosses his arms across his chest, his eyebrows raised as he gazes at her flushed features.

"I know you had it Mia Bella, it was not you I was worried about. It was what Hope would do once she'd picked her sorry behind off the floor after you'd finished with her, it was that, that had me a little concerned."

Steffy blinked several times, "Oh . . . well . . . that's alright then; Thanks."

Marius grinned and bowed, "Now it really is time for me to go, rescuing one damsel in distress has filled my usual quota for the morning, so I guess it's time to get back to work."

He looks at her for a long moment, almost reaching out for her as a subtle tension that has nothing to do with their conversation starts to fill the silence.

"Steffy, is everything alright?" says a voice from the stairway.

Steffy turns to see Amelia standing there, a worried look on her face.

"It's okay Amelia, Hope has gone, the worst of the storm has passed, for now."

She turns to Marius, the moment now lost. "Thanks again, Marius, I don't think me slapping the taste out of Hopes mouth would have gone down particularly well with the press right now."

Marius smiled, "I'll see you soon Steffy, Ciao, for now!" And with that he really did leave.

Steffy went to sit on the couch, letting out a long breath as she finally sunk down and let herself relax, she gazed at her hands, they were shaking. The more she thought about it, the more she was glad Marius had returned, because if he hadn't, she didn't know if she would have been able to stop herself from beating the living tar out of Hope, and that could have proved disastrous to her plans. It seemed she had grossly underestimated just how much fury there still was inside of her.

She snorted, not to mention an extreme amount of sexual tension that Marius seemed to have no trouble eliciting from her. She shook her head in annoyance, it had only been two months since Finn had left her, a man she'd loved, despite their last couple of months becoming more and more difficult as the distance between them grew, yet here she was, seemingly entranced by a man again.

A thoughtful half smile flitted across her face, as she also thought, a sexy dark eyed Italian man that seems to ooze sex appeal out of every single one of his pores.

"Mind out of the gutter slore, mind out of the gutter, you've still got work to do," she said to herself sternly. She immediately started to re-focus on the work she still had to do this morning.

She knew that Hope had other options open to her for retaliation, and she thought she knew which one she'd try next, and if she did, then Hope was going to be in for yet another very nasty little surprise.

She'd taken a lot of time to work out her plan of revenge, and with a little of Bills help, advice and contacts, both she and he had made sure she had covered herself and the company as thoroughly as was possible. Thinking of that, she picked up the phone and rang her secretary, Sandra, to tell her to forward anything that was urgent over to her immediately. Once that was sorted the woman told her of Hopes resignation that was handed in this morning, but she was a little confused because when she'd checked it to make sure it was signed and dated, she'd found that the letter was dated from over three weeks previous, but apart from that odd anomaly, everything else seemed above board.

Steffy thought for a moment before laughing uproariously.

"Sandra, you guard that letter with your life, as a matter of fact I want you to leave the office immediately and bring it straight to me, is that understood! I'll have some further instructions for you when you get here."

Sandra agreed and hung up before gathering her handbag and the letter in question. She had seen what had happened last night, as had the entire planet, gathering by the media enquiries coming in. Of course, it had been all over the news in nearly every country around the world, so that wasn't surprising. She quickly rang for a replacement for her desk while she was away, and when they arrived, she left.

Like so many others who had watched the news, last night, Sandra too, had been through a recent ugly break-up, and she was still licking her wounds. Yet now, after what she and her girlfriends had seen last night, she felt empathy with Steffy, and a resentment for all those Hope Logans out there, both male and female! All the liars and the cheaters, the cruel and disrespectful, just like her ex. As far as she was concerned, anything her boss wanted, she was going to make darn sure she got it, and if this letter of resignation meant the end of that horrid woman's reign at the company, well, she was only to happy to play a part in it.

As Marius pulled away from Steffi's with a smile creasing his lips he glanced down to his phone, he noticed a voice message waiting. He plugged the phone in when he got to the gate and waited for it to open, as he started driving again he heard his brothers voice.

"Marius, we just caught the news," there was a long pause – in which Marius could practically see the smile on his brothers' lips - "it seems you have been having an interesting time in L.A. Father has decided that it's time we see you and Caterina, to catch up. We arrive tomorrow. Caio."

Marius frowned and looked at his phone in annoyance, "Well this can't be good, still, Cat has to tell them her news sometime if it turns out the way she wants," he shrugged philosophically before his eyes narrowed in thought.

"Although Antonio had better keep himself out of my business or we're going to be heading for another brawl, and this time I won't be holding back!" he muttered angrily.