ARCANUM

CHAPTER 5

LISANDRO MANOBAN POV

I've been in this cold place for over a year looking for her. It wasn't easy to gain the trust of Valdo Bykov so I could be allowed into his darker business. Since my arrival to Russia, I have tracked him and managed to get into his strip club. But sadly, he didn't appear there often. I know he has a darker club than the one I go to almost every day, and I need to get into it. I have to make sure she's there.

If she's not there, I have to find out where she was sent. Information about her whereabouts can be easily obtained if they don't work conventionally. They have no softcopy or database of anyone they have sold. No, they still rely on paper. This troubles me a lot. I already knew their leader, but I couldn't just attack him and ask him. No. It would only make my chances of obtaining information completely lost.

So this is the only way I can do it. I had to earn his trust to be allowed into his other place. I also have to find out who might know about the list and where he keeps it.

I'm lucky to have met Kayden. She was one of the victims of Valdo Bykov. She was handed over by her own family to pay off their debt to one of the mafias that control human trafficking in Russia, where Punpun was sent.

Because of her beauty and sexiness, Kayden became Valdo Bykov's favorite toy. She told me how she was scared at first when Valdo Bykov forced her. But then she got used to it and accepted her fate. Valdo became pleased with Kayden's attitude and made her his, exclusively. When he gave Kayden to keep me company, my hopes were high.

During the few weeks I spent with Kayden, we grew closer. She told me everything and opened up when I asked about a thing or two. I didn't hide my interest when she told me about another Valdo Bykov venture that I already knew. The place cannot be arbitrarily accessed. Only people that Valdo Bykov knew and trusted could enter there. Very exclusive place. The place I want to go to.

Kayden is also getting more comfortable with me, and I want to help her get out of Valdo Bykov's trap. From the story, I now want not only to find Punpun but also to stop Valdo Bykov and save those innocent young women from his trafficking. The women who suffered the same fate as Punpun. Be it the women who were kidnapped or handed over by their parents to pay off debts, they all didn't deserve to be treated this badly. Valdo Bykov must be stopped.

To stop Valdo Bykov, I had to be more careful until I got the list and evidence to hand over to the police. To honest authorities, who don't take bribes from him. I will also gather evidence to ensnare those who helped him commit the crime. They are unforgivable people. When people entrust their safety to them, they help evil. I hate those who do it. They don't deserve to be where they are and should be taken down too.

But again, the biggest problem in this mission is the data they store in hardcopy. Otherwise, Rattle would have got all the information I needed. So until now, I haven't contacted her because I haven't been able to give her the data myself.

Apart from trying to gain the trust of Valdo Bykov to get into that place, I didn't expect to meet Giselle, a beautiful woman who always tried to attract my attention. At first, I wasn't interested in her. No. But now she is alluring.