Chapter 16 - CRACKING THE CODE"She's bluffing," Elina said, though her voice shook slightly as she leaned back against the cool stone wall. "She wouldn't keep us down here forever. She needs me as a proxy."
"She isn't bluffing," Dante replied quietly, pacing over to inspect the digital keypad beside the cell door. "Elena doesn't make empty threats. If she decides we're a liability, she’ll bury this entire wing and call it an industrial accident."
"Then we need to get out," Elina said, stepping up beside him. "Can you wire this thing? You're a crime lord; surely you know how to pick a digital lock."
Dante let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "These cells were built by my father to hold Syndicate traitors. They're encrypted with biometric scanners and a rotating cipher." He paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the control panel. "However... there's a manual override circuit beneath the casing."
"Well? Can you reach it?"
"I need a tool. Something thin. A wire, a hairpin—"
Before he could finish, Elina reached up, pulling a silver bobby pin from her messy bun. She handed it to him without hesitation. "Will this work?"
Dante stared at her hand, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing his scarred face. He took the pin, inserted it into the tiny maintenance slot beneath the keypad, and began working it with delicate, practiced precision.
Minutes ticked by in heavy silence. The hum of the underground generator seemed to vibrate through the floorboards.
Suddenly, with a sharp click, the red light on the keypad blinked green.
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The heavy cell door slid open.
Dante exhaled a sharp breath, dropping the bent bobby pin to the floor. He grabbed Elina’s wrist, his grip firm and urgent. "Move. Fast. The security grid will register the manual bypass in less than sixty seconds."
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