Identity Hijacked, Kill Switch On

The fake Adam lifted his brow and attempted a gentlemanly smile. "Since we share the same name, I don't mind helping you out if you're really that broke, but you shouldn't lie."

My fists tightened. I took a few deep breaths, forcing down the anger boiling in my chest before turning to Erica. "Are you sure he's Adam?"

Erica huffed impatiently. "Of course. Now get lost. I've never seen anyone so shameless."

With that, she slammed the door shut.

I stared coldly at the door, pulled out my phone, and opened a forum I often visited.

I found an old thread of mine that had once gone viral and left a simple message.

"I'm back."

The moment it was posted, replies flooded in like a tidal wave.

"Finally! Where have you been for the past half year? You promised to come and challenge us in painting!"

"Seriously! We've waited for years to see you in person. We have to meet you!"

I smirked and typed out my address.

"I'll be home tomorrow. Bring your materials."

I let out a cold laugh, curious to see just how bold that impostor really was.

…

The next morning, a crowd gathered outside the villa, carrying their art supplies as excitement and anticipation buzzed through the air.

The fake Adam opened the door and froze at the sight of so many people.

Someone in the crowd asked, "Excuse me. Is Adam here? We're here to see him."

"I'm Adam," he said.

Someone in the group shouted excitedly, "Wow, we're finally meeting Maestro Adam in person! Come on, we can't wait to watch you paint!"

"Yeah, Maestro Adam, don't let us come all this way for nothing!"

I had changed into a completely different outfit, covering myself well enough to blend into the crowd.

Voices came from all sides.

"Maestro Adam, we're counting on you to show us your skills today!"

The fake Adam's expression shifted instantly. His face drained of color, and his lips trembled with panic.

Still, he forced a shaky smile. "When did I ask you all to come?"

Someone immediately pulled out their phone, opened the forum thread, and lifted the screen. "Didn't you post this?"

They pointed to the message from the verified account.

"This is from Maestro Adam's account. You're not denying it, are you?"

A flicker of fear crossed the fake Adam's face. He hurried to cover it up. "Right, right, that was me. Sorry. I must've forgotten."

He gave an awkward laugh, but his eyes darted nervously as he stepped aside to let everyone in.

With a cold smile, I followed the group into the villa.

It was my first time stepping into my own villa. I glanced around. The decor was lavish to the point of being garish, dripping in gold and excessive embellishment. It was tacky, vulgar, and completely devoid of artistic taste.

I made a quiet promise to myself. I was going to reveal the truth about this impostor.

The fake Adam forced a stiff smile. "I actually have some things to take care of today. Maybe another time…" he stammered.

Someone in the crowd hurriedly cut him off, "We came all this way just to see you today. Since we're already here, why don't you paint something for us?"

I joined in as well, saying, "Yeah, anything will do. Maestro Adam was famous for his speed sketches. We've all been waiting to see it again."