I’m Someone Else

Chapter 200

“I really miss Zachary… When will he be discharged from the military? I don’t want him to defend the country anymore. He has been in the military for eight years. It’s time for him to come home.”

“Silly child. Do you know what you are talking about? Without a country, where would there be a home?”

Adam spoke as he gently patted Chloe’s back.

Ever since Zachary joined the military, it had caused a lot of hardship for Chloe. He had witnessed everything she had done, especially after he fell ill and was hospitalized. Chloe worked tirelessly, often sleeping only two hours a day. She had to work, pay off debts, and take care of him. She even dropped out of university.

If it weren’t for Thomas’ timely appearance, those dark days would have continued for who knew how long.

Perhaps tired from crying, Chloe fell asleep in her father’s arms. Adam gently carried his daughter back to her bedroom.

Then, he opened a bottle of wine alone in the living room and drank by himself.

“Adam, you are truly useless. Not only can you not earn money, you even got sick and hospitalized. You can’t be of any help and only cause trouble. Because of you, Chloe couldn’t even attend university… Sigh!”

Drinking alone could make one very drunk. After only a few drinks, Adam fell asleep on the sofa.

At that moment, Thomas was in the bedroom of Northpine Villa, diligently practicing kicks.

The battle with Duban Pearson had alerted him. He indeed had a weakness in his lower body’s strength compared to his upper body. He barely won against Duban, but what if the martial arts experts from the other Five Greatest Families were even stronger than him? By then, his lower body would undoubtedly become his weak point.

If he wanted to protect Olivia’s safety, he had to improve his own strength.

Although he was strong in using firearms, he didn’t want to resort to using them unless necessary.

After losing a lot of blood twice, his body was incredibly weak. Compared to his peak physical condition, he had only recovered less than 20 percent. There was no hope of returning to his peak if he did not rest for at least half a month.

Thwack! Thwack!

He continuously executed a set of kicks. These were refined and adapted from military combat boxing. They were domineering, fierce, and filled with killing intent.

Thomas wholeheartedly immersed himself in the practice. He not only wanted to improve his lower body strength but also wanted to enhance his close-quarters combat abilities. Only by doing so could he ensure zero mistakes in close-quarters combat.

He was like an emotionless machine, repeatedly kicking again and again. He was not aware that his clothes were drenched in sweat. It wasn’t until 3.00AM that he finally stopped while gasping for air.

He turned and entered the bathroom to take a refreshing shower and change into clean clothes. He walked to the bedside and drank water in large gulps while flipping through the calendar placed on the nightstand.

Thomas shook his head, took a cigarette, and lit it silently.

“Zach, your birthday is approaching, but this time, I won’t be able to be by your side to celebrate with you.”

“Thomas, just live your life. I don’t need you to accompany me. Haha!”

Suddenly, an extremely familiar voice sounded, causing Thomas’ body to tremble. Then, he quickly turned his head and looked at the empty bedroom. It was only then he realized that perhaps due to missing his good friend too much, he had experienced an illusion.

This was already the second time it had happened.

“Thomas, don’t smoke too much. You have such a strong addiction, constantly smoking throughout the day. You’re still young. You can’t do this. Smoking is harmful to your health.”

The voice didn’t dissipate; it continued.

Thomas smiled. This time, he didn’t turn back because he was afraid that if he did, the voice would disappear. He casually extinguished the cigarette butt. “Zach, there’s something I want to discuss with you.”

“Sure, Thomas. Go ahead.”

“In the near future, if someone close to me is in danger, I want to use a gun…”

The battle with Duban had been enough to make Thomas take it seriously. Each of the Six Greatest Families had extraordinary strength, and this time, even he had no confidence. Although his close- quarters combat skills were not weak, his practical experience was lacking. He was bound to be at a disadvantage if he faced opponents of equal strength. However, if he could use a gun, he would have no fear.

“Nonsense! Thomas, you are the King of Marksmen. It’s perfectly normal to use a gun to protect the people close to you. Why are you discussing this with me?”

Thomas shook his head. “I made a vow back then that I would never use a gun in this lifetime.”

The familiar voice did not speak again as if contemplating something.

After a moment, Thomas urged, “Zach, are you still there?”

“Thomas, don’t blame yourself. I have never blamed you. Using a gun is so much simpler to solve things that could be resolved easily. Why bother with complicated close-quarters combat? I believe that as long as you have a gun in your hand, you are invincible.”

“I’m leaving. Take care of yourself and smoke less.”

“When it’s necessary to use a gun, use it. Don’t always get tied down by my matters. Take good care of the people close to you at this moment and ensure their safety. That’s the most important thing.”

“Thomas, a person who lives in the past has no future. It’s been such a long time. You have to come out of it…”

Thomas could sense Zachary’s voice growing distant as if he was speaking while moving away. By the time the voice completely disappeared, Thomas was already in tears.

After a while, Thomas stopped crying and retrieved the SR-25 sniper rifle he had taken from the assassin sent by the Hind Family. He had long moved the rifle from the rented house and concealed it under his bed. He gently caressed the gun. His gaze was filled with immense tenderness as if he was touching not a cold firearm but the tender skin of a loved one.

“A person who lives in the past has no future… Zach, for all these years, you’ve listened to me. This time, I’ll listen to you. With this gun in my hands, I will protect all of my friends.”

That night, Thomas slept with the gun in his arms. No one could understand his obsession with firearms. For him, a gun was not just a weapon to take lives, but also a loyal companion. As the commander of that mysterious special force unit had said, Thomas was a complete gun fanatic.

The next morning, when Thomas woke up, Olivia had already prepared breakfast. After they finished eating, they drove to Keyshire Property.

Molly, who usually arrived early, was absent. Olivia was feeling overwhelmed with her work as she held a stack of reviewed documents, ready to deliver them personally.

Thomas asked, “Why hasn’t Molly come?”

“Oh, she said she has something to attend to today and took a day off,” she replied.

He nodded without thinking much of it and took the initiative to take the documents. “Let me deliver them.”This text is © NôvelDrama/.Org.