"Enough!" he roared.

But instead of the loud bang he expected, what followed was a painful thud.

The table looked wooden on the surface, but inside it was made of solid gold. Mr. Long's hand smashed against it, and instantly, pain shot through his bones. His face turned pale, and his lips trembled.

The subordinates all winced, as if they had been the ones who felt the pain. They could almost hear the crack in their master's bones.

"Master…" one of them muttered, but quickly shut his mouth.

None of them dared to laugh. None of them dared to move.

Jasmine, however, let out a soft chuckle. She leaned against her chair, crossing her arms, her eyes shining with amusement.

"Father," she said mockingly, "be careful. You are not young anymore. Breaking your own hand just to scare me… is that worth it?"

Her words stabbed deeper than knives.

Mr. Long's hand throbbed with pain. He wanted to scream, but his pride stopped him. He slowly pulled his hand back, hiding it under the table. His veins bulged, and sweat formed on his forehead.

The subordinates lowered their heads, silently praying.

They all thought the same thing: 'Our master wanted to show his authority, but instead he has humiliated himself.'

Jasmine's laughter was like salt on his wounds. She didn't know their thoughts, but she could see his trembling hand.

Her voice was calm but sharp.

"If you want to play power games with me, Father, you should prepare better. Don't come to me with an empty roar. It only makes you look pathetic."

Mr. Long looked at Jasmine for a long time. His eyes were burning with anger, but in that fire, there was something else too. Gratitude.

"You…" he muttered, forcing a smirk. "You really know how to disobey me. Every word from your mouth is like a blade."

Jasmine leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Then stop standing in front of my blade."

Mr. Long's smirk widened. His pain-filled hand trembled under the table, but his voice grew colder. "This time, I will not give you any chance to disobey me."

Jasmine's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

He did not answer her with words. Instead, he raised his other hand and made a small motion.

In an instant, the subordinates who had been standing quietly at the side stepped forward.

They surrounded Jasmine from every direction. The sound of their boots hitting the floor echoed in the hall, heavy and sharp.

Jasmine stood up slowly. She looked at the circle of men and then at her father. Her voice was calm but filled with warning.

"Father, you are doing the wrong thing. You should think twice."

Mr. Long chuckled, though his chuckle carried the pain of his throbbing hand. "Wrong? I gave you life. I raised you in this world. Every matter that concerns you should be decided by me. It is only natural."

Jasmine's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Raised me? That is a joke. It was my mother who gave me life, who carried me in her womb, who endured all the pain. You, on the other hand, only provided… a sperm. That is all."

The entire hall went silent. The subordinates froze, their eyes wide. No one had ever dared to speak to their master in such a way.

Mr. Long's face turned red. His finger shot up, pointing at her as if his finger could stab her.

"You wicked child!" he roared. "If you keep speaking in such an infuriating manner, I will make sure the worst fate falls on you. Do not test me!"

But Jasmine's face did not change. She looked directly at him, her eyes filled with cold calmness.

"You are in no position to decide anything for me. Not now. Not ever. Do you know why? Because when I needed you the most, you left me."

Her words struck like thunder.

Mr. Long's steps were heavy as he walked closer. "What nonsense are you speaking? I left you to make you strong. You should be grateful."

"Grateful?" Jasmine's voice rose, full of hatred.

"Do you think I forgot? While the other children in this family had their father standing behind them, while they had someone to guide them or even give them a bit of financial help, where were you? You always stayed far away. And it was not only that. You made sure that I was cut off from everything. You made sure that almost no financial resources reached me. Even though my mother left her dowry, which was enough for me to live well and study in a mage high school, you still blocked everything. You destroyed even that small chance."

The subordinates glanced at each other nervously, but no one dared to speak.

Jasmine's voice trembled for the first time, but it was trembling with anger, not weakness.

"Do you remember how I lived back then? My brother and I had to struggle just to buy food, just to light the lamps in our home. We had to save every coin before we could even think of starting a small business. We had to wait for years before we could gather enough money to attend even a single class in the academy. Do you know how much we suffered because of you?"

Her words made Mr. Long stop for a moment. His chest rose and fell quickly. His pride told him to yell, but his heart reminded him of something he wanted to forget.

Jasmine stepped closer, her face pale but her eyes sharp like knives.

"Have you forgotten, Father? Have you forgotten the day you kicked me and Long Yifan out when we were only ten? Have you forgotten what you said to us? You told us our life and death had nothing to do with you. Those words… they are carved into my heart forever."

Mr. Long's face twisted. "That was to test you. You had to learn independence."

Jasmine's voice broke with fury.

"Independence? At that time, I needed money desperately. I had nothing. Nothing! Do you know what Yifan had to do?"

Her eyes softened as she remembered, then hardened again.

"He was younger than me, but he lowered his head in front of others. He begged. He begged for help, just so I would not suffer. I will never forget that. He was only a child, but he became my parent. He promised me he would find a solution, and he did. All while you, my real father, walked away."

Tears gathered in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She lifted her chin proudly.

"That day, I wanted to cry. Not because of my suffering, but because I realized that even without parents, I still had someone. My younger brother looked after me like a parent. He gave me strength when you took everything away."

The hall grew heavier and heavier with silence. The subordinates shifted uncomfortably. None of them dared to meet Jasmine's eyes.

She continued, her voice now like ice.

"The reason we stayed away from the Long family was not because you told us to. It was because we built our own life. Every single coin, every single asset, we earned it ourselves. We built our own house, far from you. Not because we feared you, but because we did not want to live in the shadow of those disgusting memories. Every time I see your face, I remember that day. I remember your cruel words."

Her hatred was clear. Her voice cut through the air like a sword.

"Tell me, Father. What kind of man abandons his ten-year-old children? What kind of man leaves them with nothing, tells them their lives do not matter, and still dares to stand here calling himself a father? You are not a father to me. Not now. Not ever."

The subordinates looked down at the floor. Some of them clenched their fists, not in anger, but in pity.

Mr. Long's lips trembled. His pride was wounded, but deep inside, there was a tiny flicker of shame. He tried to crush it with his anger.

"You unfilial child!" he shouted, his voice shaking. "Without me, you would not even exist. No matter what you say, you carry my blood!"

Jasmine sneered. "Your blood? So what? Blood is cheap. Love, care, responsibility… those are what make a family. And you gave me none of them."

Mr. Long's body trembled, his injured hand still hidden under the table. His face was pale, his pride breaking piece by piece.

Jasmine took one step forward. Her eyes burned with fury, but her voice was steady.

"You want to decide my fate? You already decided it once, when you left me. You decided I would have to suffer. You decided I would have to beg, to cry, to struggle. But now, Father, listen carefully. You have no power to decide anything for me anymore. I am not that helpless child you abandoned. I am Jasmine Long, and I will never bow to you."

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