Chapter 30: Chip

Victoria sighed as she watched Alexandra flee. Teddy was sitting there as cool, calm and collected as ever, the seven men oscillating around her fulfilling her every whim. She hadn't put much stock in the small antics the others had placed, but one could hope. 

Pulling up the most recent number in her call log, she hit the call button. It was time for phase one to begin. 

---

A door banged open from the servant's entrance with a yell. A disheveled man, stormed, waving his fist. Curses fell from his lips, intelligible words interspaced between them.

Nobody moved as the man stormed to a corner of the ballroom. No security apprehended the intruder as he made his way towards a corner of the room. 

He didn't have far to go, having conveniently come through the door closest to a certain group of people. 

"You bitch of a daughter how dare you?!" his voice roared as he jabbed a finger towards Teddy, breaths heaving. Everyone took a step forward wanting to get a good look at the unfolding spectacle. Victoria pushed her way to the front of the encircling crowd, concern etched on her features. 

"Sir, this is esteemed Ms.Theodora Raine. I suggest you leave before I call security. " Victoria warned, as she arrived in front of the intruder. "Perhaps you have her confused with someone else." She placated.

"Someone else?" His eyes were wild as he looked at her with contempt. "If heaven had any mercy on me it would be someone else." There was sorrow and frustration in his expression as he made the statement.

"Here she is living in the lap of luxury while I, her father, starves to death in the streets." His anger returned at the declaration, finding a second wind.

Biting her lips to hold back a smile, she had a helpless look on her face as she scrambled to defend her cousin, "My cousin is innocent, my aunt never told her who her father was."

A crazed laugh left the man "She didn't know? Who do you think was the first person she contacted when she got disowned? It was me."

His gaze turned towards Theodora daggers shooting towards her. "I housed her and her men, gave them clothes, food and f**cking roof over her head, but how did she thank me?"

He was yelling again, spittle flying from his mouth, causing the spectators to take a collective step back, commoners were so unrefined.

"She took my money, even the money needed to keep the bank from taking my house and ditched me with nothing to my name." His voice became watery and then broke. Victoria desperately wanted to turn around and see the confusion and desperation on her cousin's face but she had to keep up her front. 

Not for the crowd surrounding them. The attendees are well aware of who had orchestrated this debacle, but there were cameras recording every move. She comforted herself with the fact that later she could watch Theodora's reaction over and over and over again. Watch every single expression as she crumbled. 

"Don't worry though, she'll pay for everything." His voice was starting to get quieter, he seemed eerily calm, a chill emitting from him. Then he charged straight for Teddy. 

Everyone was holding their breath in eager anticipation, waiting for the moment he would make contact. His arm wheeled back.

Victoria felt adrenaline pumping through her, as the fist got closer and closer to the target. She hadn't instructed the man to do this, so it wasn't her fault, but she hadn't exactly given limits. It wasn't easy being an actor, the least she could do was give him creative freedom. If her cousin had to pay the price then so be it. 

A crack sounded as fist met bone. But it was the assailant's head that snapped to the side.

---

Namjoon had watched the man stumble into the room. The fact that he managed to make it into the building was his first clue this was scripted. The second being nobody called the security guards and last but not least, Mistress' cousin's impassioned "defense".

 He was not very impressed with her acting. Jungkook could have done better and the boy was an open book. None of them ran interference because the whole show seemed to fascinate and amuse Teddy. That is until the man tried to attack her. Then all bets were off. 

Teddy didn't move as she saw the rather large man barrel towards her. She wasn't going to do anything about it. That was their job now. Meeting Namjoon's eyes, she got to witness the moment he realized her safety was in his-their hands. He looked terrified. She really shouldn't find it so entertaining.

The crazy man was four feet away from her and closing in quickly. A sadistic smirk spread across his face, but he never made it further. Namjoon's fist met his face. With him unbalanced, Yoongi swept the man's legs out from underneath him. 

The poor guy didn't know what happened. One minute he was about to whale into one of the entitled pricks at this fancy party, the next his jaw felt broken and he was on the floor. He didn't stay long before scrambling to his feet.

Namjoon quickly engaged him again. He tried to subtly back him away from the couch. His inattention cost him when a mean left hook caught him on the chin. While he tried to regain his balance through the searing pain, the man pulled a knife. 

Luckily Jungkook pulled Teddy to the side so he stabbed nothing but the couch. Seizing the moment, Taehyung grabbed his wrist. He twisted it until the man dropped the knife. By then Hoseok, Seokjin and Yoongi were standing nearby and wrestled him to the ground. Not having anything else on hand they hog-tied the man with their fancy silk ties. 

Victoria nearly choked as she watched her piece of resistance get obliterated in under 60 seconds. Where did Teddy get these men? Were they ex-bodyguards or something? The crazy guy was armed with a knife. What was wrong with them?

Hesitantly she stepped forward, "Hey cuz, I know that he was a little aggressive at first, but don't you think you could be a little more understanding. He is your father after all." Teddy watched her with interest. Victoria felt her stomach drop as time passed and Theodora continued to stare into her soul as if she saw everything Victoria had done, everything she planned on doing. 

"He is not my dad and I don't care if he has three Nobel Prizes. He attacked, I defended." The cadence was slow, making sure each word sunk in before the next appeared.

"What about us, cousin? Is our relationship nothing to you?" Victoria knew if she didn't free the fake dad soon, there was a high chance he would blab about her instructions. "We are family, he is too." 

"Family?" Teddy scoffed, "If not calling security guards while your 'family' is being attacked, believing the ravings of a mad man over your 'family' and scolding your 'family' for protecting themselves is a family, then I'm afraid I can't afford it." There were 'oohs' from the crowd at the declaration. 

Victoria, with the shock of events catching up to her, didn't come up with a clever response. 

"Well, I think I've had enough excitement for the evening, so I think I'll turn in with the boys. Good evening everyone." Although Teddy hadn't been worried, her brain wasn't so convinced.

Originally she had wanted to stay and witness all the plots the evening had to offer, but she believed this had been enough of a test for the men. More importantly seeing Namjoon get decked had not put her in the mood for such entertainment.

Jimin had appeared sometime during the events and was hovering over Namjoon, Yoongi soon joined him. 

Namjoon was fine enough to walk, but they would definitely be on the look-out for signs of concussion when they got home. As she passed her cousin she leaned forward to stage whisper, "You talk about blood being thicker than water, but for them I would spill either." She gave Victoria a friendly pat on the shoulder "Don't forget that, cuz."

And with that they headed towards the car.