Timothy Drake was a familiar face in Gotham's headlines—this year’s 23-year-old rising golden bachelor.
He always appeared perfectly composed in front of the cameras.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bd5YHvtwx
The click of his leather shoes on the sidewalk was clean and crisp, and the clasp on his briefcase was always shut just right.
No matter what reporters asked, he stayed calm.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMvWBOxVsB
About company strategy, about the direction of the conglomerate, about long-term vision—he never said the wrong thing.
But all the articles mentioned one thing:323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSiqzfK163
He always arrived alone, and left alone.
As if he was born to be someone who didn’t need companionship.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcoHPAWzjf
Not only was he the heir of the Drake Group, long operating across Europe,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSgXJZeT1B
he was once under the guardianship of Gotham’s richest man—Bruce Wayne.
That relationship was never publicly explained in full.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRPaqY4HPX
But in a few blurry old newspaper clippings, the two were photographed appearing in public together.
A young boy stood beside a man in black, his head lowered, looking at his own shadow.
The public only knew he was the “genius chosen by Mr. Wayne,”323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklmH2E6QlI
but few ever asked what kind of void he had been chosen to fill.
Unfortunately, no media outlet had ever caught him showing any romantic interaction with a woman.
There were a few times paparazzi mistook a female assistant walking into a building with him for a new girlfriend,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspPOu8P40D
but Tim personally spoke out to clarify.
He said: “Please don’t use someone’s professionalism and hard work as material for gossip.”
That statement circulated online for days—323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zv8l5vsWe
calm, sharp, and impossible to argue with.
Today, our President Drake had a new mission: to pick up his adorable little nephew.
A pink star was marked on his schedule—rumor had it he’d put it there himself.
Alfred joked that this was the first time in his life Tim had ever left the house on time for something other than a board meeting—323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQwJivcGUv
and it was to go to a kindergarten.
Tim merely replied calmly, “It’s an urgent task. Punctuality is the baseline.”
Finn was the child of his adopted sister and second brother, Jason Todd.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05bwKPLl8R
And yes, the family tree was a mess.
Even Tim didn’t really want to explain it—323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8AMLdvx0K
probably only Alfred could make sense of the legal and blood ties woven into it.
But to him, Finn was simply family.
The kid had a sharp tongue, moved fast, loved to interrupt, was clingy, loved to draw—and was frankly terrible at it.
But in that moment when Finn ran up and hugged his leg,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OK8ItiaG9
Tim always found himself thinking: This kid matters.
Today, both parents were busy—Leila had a concert, and Jason was tracking down the mastermind behind a smuggling ring—323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRJPSddHVo
so the mission fell to Tim, the kid’s uncle.
He said nothing, just rolled up his shirt sleeves,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2WX9R4Zep
left his office in a high-rise, and headed toward the address Alfred had prepared.
He knew this wasn’t just “picking up a kid.”323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPFPNUEtpp
This was stepping into the world they had all tried to keep separate.
To be honest, Finn really was an adorable kid—full of energy.
Since he was three, he would leap off the couch, declare “I just defeated you!” to Jason,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1vld3ltNp
then bounce back up to land another kick for good measure.
He loved drawing, even though he couldn’t draw a proper square.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbfTxnUia3
He loved asking “why,” and would interrupt you with the next “why” before you could answer the first.
Bruce had given one order: Finn was to have a normal childhood.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡib7UlUpAiK
No one in the family was allowed to let the boy know about their secret identities.
But Tim was certain—soon enough, four-year-old Finn would figure out that something was off.
After all, not every house had hidden skylights on the roof.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3yd4CAet1
Not every uncle, aunt, or older cousin disappeared like clockwork in the middle of the night.
And not every kid drew a shadowy figure with wings spread wide,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8aePGGVl3
perched on the edge of a high-rise building.
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One thing about Finn always left people half-laughing, half-helpless.
Every single day, Finn went around announcing,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoUEmTum1d
“When I grow up, I’m going to marry Miss Nora!”
It didn’t matter if he was eating, drawing, or even napping—323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXqoAto9BX
he’d suddenly declare it like it was some grand historical mission.
One time after nap time, he even told a classmate,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEn6nrKfWQU
“I dreamed about the wedding, but Miss Nora hasn’t said yes yet.”
Tim had never met this “Miss Nora.”323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLphS4zIJa
He’d only heard the name a few times from Finn at home, but hadn’t given it much thought.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRIfEqZ9qo
After all, it wasn’t unusual for a kid to be fond of their teacher.
But apparently, the kid’s entire sketchbook was filled with drawings titled:323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDruX6TTTIH
“Me and Teacher Got Married.”
There were cakes, rings, and even one page with a veiled figure riding a dinosaur.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8s9gjYLmFe
Tim had seen one of them—and went completely silent.
Nora Virell. Tim had looked her up.
Her background was perfectly ordinary. Normal parents, graduated with a degree in education,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7YyxpMRN6
and started working at the kindergarten right after school.
A clean, traceable record.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbM7HQ4vMp
No red flags, no suspicious social media, no odd financial activity, no name changes,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6M9rNZyQf
no history on the black market—which was saying something in a city like Gotham.
By all accounts, she was just a teacher.
But she did have striking blonde hair and bright green eyes.
In the photo, her long curls were slightly tousled, and her smile tilted with a playful curve.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzuTkpoNig
Her gaze sparkled—like she was always ready to say,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZn0LLoTjP
“Alright then, let’s play.”
Maybe that was what drew Finn to her.
Children were particularly sensitive to colors—323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3nxwK17wZ
blonde hair and green eyes probably looked to him like someone straight out of a fairy tale.
He even asked Bruce how to win a girl’s heart.
Tim rolled his eyes.
He’d been reading the newspaper at the breakfast table across from them.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwtrZi4GRP
Bruce, on the other hand, had looked like he’d just swallowed a whole cup of bitter tea—323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH28rNNL9gm
clearly unprepared for that kind of question.
Tim had told himself silently,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTUMUbqLUk
He’s four.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxUIbWqNgt
Still, he remembered the name: Nora Virell.
Following Bruce’s instructions, he went to pick Finn up after school.
That afternoon’s meetings and document reviews had been cleanly crossed off his schedule—323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFOQ1MIfsu
this time slot had been reserved just for this.
When the time came, he left the office.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItlnBY5q6L
It felt less like an errand, more like a quiet reconnaissance mission.
The kindergarten was much cleaner than he’d expected.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKppvttBRUv
The kids inside were playing games while waiting for their parents.
The walls were covered with colorful cardstock and stickers, and the air smelled faintly of hand soap.
A few children sat in a circle, piecing together a puzzle.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rqxbkqe4w
One of them suddenly burst into high-pitched laughter.
Tim found the front desk teacher.
She was checking the roster, and when she looked up and saw him, her expression froze for a second.
The young teacher looked stunned—323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSKueQ5apt
probably unsure who this sharp-dressed, serious-looking man was.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQ0RyFONy9
People who came to pick up kids usually didn’t carry this kind of aura.
Tim gave his name and showed the parent authorization form.
His movements were precise, his voice steady and calm—323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmS1ZP8R97z
like someone handing over an official document.
It couldn’t be helped.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQp0TcIS3jQ
Gotham wasn’t exactly known for its safety.
This city had no shortage of missing persons and strange kidnapping cases.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Vv7jSBJkC
Even kids weren’t immune.
Especially kids like Finn—323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJK72pWyze
born into a family always skirting the edge of danger.
The teacher suddenly became very enthusiastic, personally leading Tim toward the classroom.
Her voice picked up speed, her smile widened—323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OP9cIOgcB
clearly realizing this man wasn’t just anyone.
Tim had seen this before.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZN96kyypY
Rich, single men always attracted attention.
He didn’t react.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEBAa2WAS1
He just followed quietly, glancing at the lesson plans and class photos on the walls as they walked.
The children were all smiling brightly.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlGff1qPud
In one photo, Finn stood center stage, dressed like a lion.
They reached Finn’s classroom.
The room was softly lit; the lights weren’t turned off yet.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCQ2reX8iM
A few kids were still putting up drawings on the wall.
As soon as Finn saw him, he jumped up and ran over.
His little feet pounded like he had his own personal drumbeat.
“Uncle! Uncle!”323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFlUC7E833
He ran up and hugged Tim’s leg tight.
His body was warm and slightly sweaty.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIBOA8XQEO
His small arms clung tight.
Tim ruffled Finn’s hair. It was damp—he must’ve been running around just before.
His bangs stuck to his forehead, and the skin behind his ears was red from all the activity.
Tim crouched down to help him with his backpack.
The zipper got stuck for a second.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1HSxc5qDQ
He didn’t say anything, just adjusted it quietly.
Finn was chattering nonstop—323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1EhTSnult
something about Miss Nora wearing a red dress,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOPPky2z4s
Miss Nora saying his drawing improved,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKe8J2oyGgR
Miss Nora drinking coffee but still not napping.
“Uncle, I want to introduce you to my future bride!”323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tniHmFpVF
Finn said with determined excitement, dragging Tim toward the corner of the classroom.
A woman was crouched there, putting toys away.
Her movements were unhurried, carefully aligning wooden blocks one by one back into their box.
“Miss Nora! Look! This is my uncle!”323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2okMI2yGZ7
Finn’s voice sounded like he was introducing a brand-new toy.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5Dd4BbbSu
He was so excited, his grin nearly touched his ears.
A woman looked up.
Her motion was unhurried but deliberate—323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmgxNmhn1O
as if she’d already heard the whole conversation,323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3raE2U8YQ
and had simply been waiting for her cue to enter.
Her green eyes gleamed like polished jade as she looked up.
She didn’t flinch, didn’t rush to smile.323Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyz3jUC1tY8
She simply looked—calmly—at the man standing at the door in a black suit.
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And for the first time, Tim laid eyes on the blonde teacher named Nora.
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and then Add to home screen.