005

Jasmine's Pov.

I walked up to him, unfazed. “Without me, Enoch, you're nothing but a spoiled boy playing pretend in a man's world.”

“Crack!”

The force sent me stumbling back a step as a sharp sting exploded on my cheek. 

My ears rang and my room spun. 

Did he just slap me? 

Slowly, I turned back to look at him. His chest heaved and his eyes were dark with rage. 

“How dare you insult me?!” He roared. Don't make me laugh! Melody was the one who introduced those collaborators to the company and even worked her way through the Ives conglomerates. And guess what? They've invested into my company and what about you? You're just a pretty face who just go luck—”

“Smack!”

Before he could finish his words, my palm met his cheek with a brutal force as Melody’s gasps filled the air. 

The rage in his eyes vanished, replaced by a disbelieving Shock as he cracked his cheek. “What did you just—”

“Sign. The. Damn. Papers,” I enunciated word for word, anger radiating from my pores. 

Enoch snatched the pen from the table and scribbled his name with angry strokes. “Fine. You want this? Done. Get out.”

The ink has barely dried when I snapped my fingers. A man in a tailored suit entered, his presence commanding instant attention. He walked straight to Enoch and held out his hand. 

“The keys,” he said, voice cold and firm. 

Enoch blinked, caught off guard. “What?”

“Car keys. Hand them over.”

“What car keys are you talking about? That's… that's my car.”

“No, they're not. They're mine. In fact, I bought it for you.” I said, chin raised. 

He scoffed, not understanding what was happening. “That's a lie. I won it in a lucky pool fair and square.”

I tsked. “And papers don't lie.” Another snap of my fingers and the top autos dealer came walked in. 

“It's true me Smith. The lady here bought the car two years ago and made me lie that you won it in a pool. The car really belongs to her.” 

“What?!” Samantha and Melody yelled collectively, finally woke up from their seeming trance from all that was happening. 

Before he could say further, my driver snatched the keys from his hold and bowed down to me. “Boss, the keys.”

The word, ‘boss’ detonated in the room like a bomb.

Enoch’s face drained of color as I held out my hand. My driver a set of keys into my palm with a satisfying clink. 

Before their shock could settle, the doorbell rang. A courier stepped in, carrying a beautiful velvet box. 

“A delivery for Mrs Samantha,” he said. “And it's said to be delivered anonymously.”

Inside was the necklace I had bought in advance to appease Samantha. Her eyes twinkled with greed the moment she laid her eyes on it.

“Oh, mine, this is so beautiful, and you bought it for me?” she smiled, reaching for it. 

“Yes, I bought it for you mom.” In a blink, Melody was already standing beside Samantha. 

Samantha reached for the box, but the delivery guy stepped back, making her frown. “What are you doing? It's mine, so hand it over!” She yelled. 

“Uh, it's states here that it will be paid for during the delivery. Sorry, you'd have to pay for it first.”

She eagerly turned to face Melody who suddenly looked pale. 

Inside, I laughed, looking at show before me. She thought it had been paid for and wanted to take the praise. But what's praise without work? 

“Go ahead Melody. What are you waiting for? Go ahead and pay up.” Samantha urged. “I can already imagine how good it'll look on me.”

“It would, but not anymore,” I said, bored. “I bought the necklace and it belongs to me.”

“What? You? A servant claiming to have bought this necklace? What a joke!” Melody bragged. “I bought it.”

I exhaled lazily. “Okay, go ahead and pay up.” I shrugged. 

She turned to look at the delivery guy. “How much is the jewelry? I'll pay now.”

“Oh, it's the sum of five thousand dollars only,” he said and Melody choked!

“What? Five thousand?! That's… huge!”

Without another word, I stretched my card towards the guy. “Here, swipe for debit.”

I signed the slip and tucked my card along with the box into my bag. 

“Hey, that's mine,” Samantha hissed, reaching for it. 

“Not anymore.”

Her face twist with rage. “You dare—!”

Her hand shot out for the slap she'd given me so many times before, slaps I'd endured many times before. But this time, I moved first. My palm cracked across her cheek with a sound that echoed through the house. 

The room went silent, pin drop kind of silence. I had dared slept the Smith's matriarch. 

Samantha stumbled back, clutching her face just like her son did. “You—you wretched—!”

“Try it again,” I gritted out slowly, “and I'll make sure you're begging on the streets by nightfall.”

Her eyes darted to Enoch, based on the fact he's received his fair taste of my palm, he said nothing, tail in-between his thigh. His pride was bleeding, his silenve, my sweetest victory. 

I pulled out my phone and made a single call. Within minutes, a black limited edition Maybach glided up the driveway, the engine purring like a predator. 

I turned to them one last time. “Enjoy the house while you can. The eviction notice will arrive shortly. You're are to move out of my property in two days,” and then I was gone. 

Their laughter was gone now, replaced by stunned silence. Even Melody's poisonous tongue had no words. 

I slipped on my sunglasses and walked out, Derek opening the car door with a grin of pure admiration. 

“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” he joked. 

“Too late bro,” I joked back, effortlessly sliding into the soft leather seat. “This is just the beginning. The collaboration will be next. For now… let them choke on their borrowed wealth.”