The Unstoppable Warlock

Huge Compensation

 The dinner finished with complete silence. It could be denoted that Justin's mind was not settled, and this caused his wife and daughter worries, but they could not do anything at the moment.

He immediately left the dining table to sit on his special spot on the couch. He beckoned Lucas to sit directly opposite him and he started scrutinizing him thoroughly from head to toe with his gaze. He was still convinced that he wasn't dreaming, but to clear his doubt, he had to ask the poor man a series of questions.

" You said you are Lucas Armstrong right?, If I may ask, who are your parents, and where are they presently?" He asked the agitated man sitting before him.

" I am presently an orphan sir, and I have never met my parents. I was raised in an orphanage, but I have my father's picture with me.", Lucas answered him

Hearing that Lucas had his father's picture, Justin hurriedly sat upright, he was eager to clear his doubt.

" Can you please show me his picture?"Justin requested.

There was a silver chain placed around Lucas's neck. The necklace had a lock that contained Lucas's parent's pictures. The necklace was given to Claire alongside the ring by Zachary when he visited the orphanage. The necklace had been with Lucas since he was young. He slept and bathed with it, because it was a precious object he could never misplace. He adored the necklace, and anytime he saw parents caring for their children, he always checked the necklace to calm himself.

He removed the necklace on his neck and opened it to show Justin his parent's pictures. Justin's mouth was left agape for some minutes. He gazed between the picture and Lucas, then he moved to sit beside him on the same couch.

He held his arm and asked him the same question again," These are your parents?"

"Yes sir, it was passed to me by my father when I was young," Lucas answered.

" And you don't know their whereabouts?", Justin questioned

" I have not met them, not to talk of their location. My nanny and I went in search of my dad when I was a teenager, but the search proved abortive. We later heard that he died two years later, although nobody knew the cause of his death, nor where he was buried. I had to accept fate and move on with my life. Any problem sir? You are getting me worried with this question and reactions". Lucas looked directly at Justin as he asked the question. 

" I can't say there is a problem yet. Although some problems might come up in the future, we have to take precautions to avoid them", Justin answered calmly. His mind went back to his first encounter with the man in the picture.

After several medical tests and checkups, the doctor confirmed both he and his wife were okay. Medically, they are perfectly fit, yet they couldn't give birth to a child. Lilliana was not at rest, knowing the pressure coming from her husband's family. If she failed to produce her child, Rowland's blood, she would be chased out of her husband's house. Justin was also worried seeing his wife's condition.

He made inquiries on the next step to take, then he was advised to use the spiritual and natural medical approach since the orthodox method yielded negative results. He was directed to a man who lived in the suburban part of the city. He was made to understand that the man was a strong traditional healer and his problems would be solved. He went alone without his wife so she didn't recognize the man that helped them during their infertility issue.

The man was young and handsome. He didn't look like a person with strong natural medical knowledge, but Justin's mind did not waver. He had believed and had faith that all his problems would be solved here. The man had a distinct aura with a beautiful smile on his face, and this made Justin's mind to be at rest.

" Welcome to my humble abode sir. What can I do to be of help to an aristocrat like you", the traditional healer asked Justin.

" I'm here for a serious issue sir. It's about our inability to produce a child of our own. My friend said you can help us, that's the main reason why I'm here. I don't care about any amount that will cost me, just make sure I have a child I can call my own", Justin pleaded

Smiles, " I can see you are desperate to have a child. Where is your wife? Can you bring her here?", The man said.

"My wife must not know I came to this place. She is the religious type, so she won't follow me", Justin explained

" I won't say she should come here to worship anything. I just want her to get tested traditionally. But since you said she won't come here, let's think of another solution." The man said

The man checked a mirror placed in one corner of his room. He looked at Justin curiously and returned his gaze to the mirror. He muttered some unknown words, then closed his eyes. After some minutes he opened his eyes.

The man explained that their inability to give birth was a result of a spiritual attack on the wife. The enemy did not want her to give birth so that there would be no child to inherit Justin's properties after his demise.

" There is an attack on your wife's womb, this makes it impossible for her to get pregnant. I will give you some herbs. When you get home, boil the herbs, then urge your wife to drink it morning and night for seven days consecutively. She will be alright after that", the man said to Justin.

Back to the present, the man in the picture placed on Justin's hand was the same man who helped him, he was Zach Armstrong.

After his encounter with the man, he investigated him, and he found out his family were healers. He didn't visit the man even after his wife gave birth to Lilly. He only went there after his wife had complications and was unable to get pregnant again, but he couldn't meet the man in his house.

He had to search for him but he was made to know that all the healers had been wiped out. The reason for their disappearance was unknown to anyone. During his search, he found out that his helper's name was Zach Armstrong and there is a Museum named after the family's name, the Armstrong Museum. He has been a donor to the growth of the Museum since then. The striking resemblance was too much, right there, he knew Lucas was his helper's son.

He thought since all the healers were wiped out, there should be a need for Lucas to change his family name, to avoid suspicion. In his mind, he had vowed to protect Lucas at all costs. His family had protected his daughter twice, so it wouldn't be bad for him to pay him back with goodness. Before he orchestrated his plans, he had to explain the little he knew about his family to Lucas and he had to provide a place for his safety. The guy will surely be a great asset to the city and his family as a whole.

He looked at Lucas and narrated how he had met his father. This revelation came as a surprise to both his wife and his daughter.

" Honey, are you telling me Lucas's father was the reason I'm called a mother? He was also the reason I still maintain my position in the Rowland family. Oh my God!" Lilliana exclaimed as tears breamed from her eyes.

" And to say his son also saved me from gangsters, this is unbelievable" Lilly also added.

" Yeah, it's unbelievable. You can now understand how shocked I was when you guys entered this house. I didn't know I would meet any of Zach's family again. Thank God", he sighed heavily. The Rowland family was excited about Lucas' appearance and they welcomed him happily into the family. 

" So you are saying I'm the son of a healer," Lucas asked

" Yes, your father was a strong healer. The resemblance was what caught me off-guard when you came in. You look exactly like him", Justin answered.

" With due respect sir, your behavior then was like that of an ingrate." Lucas was surprised at his own business, but the revelation opened a closed wound in him and he was bittered, so he continued talking.

" You could have gone there to either inform him of your child's birth. But no, you chose not to go back there since you have gotten what you wanted. Had it been you went back there, you would have saved him from the unforeseen attack and  death." Lucas was on the brink of crying, his body was shaking as he imagined the kind of agony his father must have passed through before his death.

From what Claire explained to him during his father's visit, she said the man was restless and he didn't want himself to be located at that spot. Someone must have been after his life then, but he had to transfer the sacred ring to his son, so he made sacrifices to visit the orphanage. Maybe he was located at that time since he came back from his hiding. He sacrificed his life for his son. Those were Lucas' thoughts and it made him hurt more.

" I'm deeply sorry Lucas. I know no amount of apology could bring back your father, but please forgive my ignorance. You are right, maybe he would have still been alive if I had gone back there, but I was so overwhelmed with Lilly's birth that I forgot my helper. I promise to do well with you, being my helper's son and Lilly's savior. I  will do everything within my power to keep you safe", Justin apologized by holding his arm. He regretted every bit of his past actions.

The next thing was to make sure of Lucas's safety and make him understand part of his existence.