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.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFl31A2nGHQ
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.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQKjd46PlR
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:152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2NQR1ULSD
He always arrived alone, and left alone.
As if he was born to be someone who didn’t need companionship.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2INTGL0FD
Not only was he the heir of the Drake Group, long operating across Europe,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3GnrnDXlZ
he was once under the guardianship of Gotham’s richest man—Bruce Wayne.
That relationship was never publicly explained in full.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYj5AS6PGn1
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,”152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0ZfwWSWJW
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,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7O4lQTJUM
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—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPd6dyBXxAD
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—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HE0Xf6KXs
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.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVjxgpsUW8
And yes, the family tree was a mess.
Even Tim didn’t really want to explain it—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQUArfOWJ1
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,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSDAq43ZBx
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—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGzaIiQlfS
so the mission fell to Tim, the kid’s uncle.
He said nothing, just rolled up his shirt sleeves,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIowgYuToG
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.”152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7pigQMkeYl
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,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrnhbiPZ4L
then bounce back up to land another kick for good measure.
He loved drawing, even though he couldn’t draw a proper square.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KQeaAmfLq
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.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVh1bu2Vn9
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.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsamQz9QuPj
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,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf85661uWzJ
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,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JcUwG2Xdd
“When I grow up, I’m going to marry Miss Nora!”
It didn’t matter if he was eating, drawing, or even napping—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGHYSE8Ps8
he’d suddenly declare it like it was some grand historical mission.
One time after nap time, he even told a classmate,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNFC5P4yNX
“I dreamed about the wedding, but Miss Nora hasn’t said yes yet.”
Tim had never met this “Miss Nora.”152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFx59cvLmG
He’d only heard the name a few times from Finn at home, but hadn’t given it much thought.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzIiq02Mri
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:152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4JYKM2hIn
“Me and Teacher Got Married.”
There were cakes, rings, and even one page with a veiled figure riding a dinosaur.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbOnBjWODp
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,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBuTZ5yQ7E
and started working at the kindergarten right after school.
A clean, traceable record.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYx0Qwi1mFR
No red flags, no suspicious social media, no odd financial activity, no name changes,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXHr7NXwAS
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.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEjW5ur3hj
Her gaze sparkled—like she was always ready to say,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFciLuv0wL5
“Alright then, let’s play.”
Maybe that was what drew Finn to her.
Children were particularly sensitive to colors—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRjn90QQ9l
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.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqmnycWqsj
Bruce, on the other hand, had looked like he’d just swallowed a whole cup of bitter tea—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMov4cBKBxF
clearly unprepared for that kind of question.
Tim had told himself silently,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYM6mwOOnsP
He’s four.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gamz9pNUH
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—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxU5m7Vdsdh
this time slot had been reserved just for this.
When the time came, he left the office.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaMFWoHsw9
It felt less like an errand, more like a quiet reconnaissance mission.
The kindergarten was much cleaner than he’d expected.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qSRmnNftd
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.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9F6S1uY3w8
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—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEfkEOxFe0
probably unsure who this sharp-dressed, serious-looking man was.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rMtMSHjAj
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—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XQBPeVSga
like someone handing over an official document.
It couldn’t be helped.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFqFibhvBO
Gotham wasn’t exactly known for its safety.
This city had no shortage of missing persons and strange kidnapping cases.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KHX6CAHo6
Even kids weren’t immune.
Especially kids like Finn—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKEHPZaFZL
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—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BCzc8H4X0
clearly realizing this man wasn’t just anyone.
Tim had seen this before.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLH8FMPM0m9
Rich, single men always attracted attention.
He didn’t react.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBIq4YEsJA
He just followed quietly, glancing at the lesson plans and class photos on the walls as they walked.
The children were all smiling brightly.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4U9FZSInZ
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.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkCundvdLh
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!”152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFP1E9Epeif
He ran up and hugged Tim’s leg tight.
His body was warm and slightly sweaty.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIOQs3ku88
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.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx20Fg6gNJZ
He didn’t say anything, just adjusted it quietly.
Finn was chattering nonstop—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6PzE8xxCC
something about Miss Nora wearing a red dress,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XhIO8fjFT
Miss Nora saying his drawing improved,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtu6rFaSWDM
Miss Nora drinking coffee but still not napping.
“Uncle, I want to introduce you to my future bride!”152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5WzfbTsYR
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!”152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hYlGl3oMv
Finn’s voice sounded like he was introducing a brand-new toy.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTMS9iBEjD
He was so excited, his grin nearly touched his ears.
A woman looked up.
Her motion was unhurried but deliberate—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bTZyL0GeD
as if she’d already heard the whole conversation,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOWICSEx8a
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.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qUlxtUrM8
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.