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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLOhEmEfjN
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQb8OSDVtG5
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:234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmc7et7vIlK
He always arrived alone, and left alone.
As if he was born to be someone who didn’t need companionship.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbnVeR0mqY
Not only was he the heir of the Drake Group, long operating across Europe,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BRb6i1O5E
he was once under the guardianship of Gotham’s richest man—Bruce Wayne.
That relationship was never publicly explained in full.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHNEiXncrL
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,”234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHHMHKWEu9
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,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyu45fykKEA
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—234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmzKlefl5Y
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—234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMD6tgB0xKB
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQWJqESkqT
And yes, the family tree was a mess.
Even Tim didn’t really want to explain it—234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiptFNHQCC4
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,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXpQQ6Pxgm
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—234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsGFgrbJUs
so the mission fell to Tim, the kid’s uncle.
He said nothing, just rolled up his shirt sleeves,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOacFSxaIDt
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.”234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkh4cPCMJI2
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,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvnLsiQQ0z
then bounce back up to land another kick for good measure.
He loved drawing, even though he couldn’t draw a proper square.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevlStduSlj
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpD1yaLDcc9
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyQFuP2yFv
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,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6Do8GcSzs
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,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LAPVAHDrQ
“When I grow up, I’m going to marry Miss Nora!”
It didn’t matter if he was eating, drawing, or even napping—234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlVwRk7uJv
he’d suddenly declare it like it was some grand historical mission.
One time after nap time, he even told a classmate,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPmE8GLpY1
“I dreamed about the wedding, but Miss Nora hasn’t said yes yet.”
Tim had never met this “Miss Nora.”234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GNLYKAUrA
He’d only heard the name a few times from Finn at home, but hadn’t given it much thought.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4vfiwPqBy
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:234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cCI3MEAQT
“Me and Teacher Got Married.”
There were cakes, rings, and even one page with a veiled figure riding a dinosaur.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9H5uMiH0v
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,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn49WL6rX2k
and started working at the kindergarten right after school.
A clean, traceable record.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dhNLHhEFh
No red flags, no suspicious social media, no odd financial activity, no name changes,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfD0GYX5KA
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvzQaZlndx
Her gaze sparkled—like she was always ready to say,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYaj1elqMK
“Alright then, let’s play.”
Maybe that was what drew Finn to her.
Children were particularly sensitive to colors—234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6l5CB6Un4Z
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZlepLciFt
Bruce, on the other hand, had looked like he’d just swallowed a whole cup of bitter tea—234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUeb4Sdkc4
clearly unprepared for that kind of question.
Tim had told himself silently,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNR1oFcBPf
He’s four.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbg7fc4rhkf
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—234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoxXikDJoa
this time slot had been reserved just for this.
When the time came, he left the office.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDCHNyMnXf
It felt less like an errand, more like a quiet reconnaissance mission.
The kindergarten was much cleaner than he’d expected.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSu2HXF18g
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKSsDMVfR1
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—234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSO9dU9pxzp
probably unsure who this sharp-dressed, serious-looking man was.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0PuAMhls3
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—234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7p0ksW1IWm
like someone handing over an official document.
It couldn’t be helped.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2M9U27od3r
Gotham wasn’t exactly known for its safety.
This city had no shortage of missing persons and strange kidnapping cases.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiREUMx6Xb
Even kids weren’t immune.
Especially kids like Finn—234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlBnCWl1zv
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—234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEPMg9tzY0
clearly realizing this man wasn’t just anyone.
Tim had seen this before.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDNWuuVWmC
Rich, single men always attracted attention.
He didn’t react.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBPjxHoEjt
He just followed quietly, glancing at the lesson plans and class photos on the walls as they walked.
The children were all smiling brightly.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGgDNlfDey
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HWLxpTkSP
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!”234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LhtOrNmRV
He ran up and hugged Tim’s leg tight.
His body was warm and slightly sweaty.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsNzqxtUaO
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFN12BEgjw
He didn’t say anything, just adjusted it quietly.
Finn was chattering nonstop—234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡND8GHvedA6
something about Miss Nora wearing a red dress,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡferLk80uim
Miss Nora saying his drawing improved,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmENpQzuJj
Miss Nora drinking coffee but still not napping.
“Uncle, I want to introduce you to my future bride!”234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzhtNw87Np
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!”234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR99MqhVEgw
Finn’s voice sounded like he was introducing a brand-new toy.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmhr9YF0PZ
He was so excited, his grin nearly touched his ears.
A woman looked up.
Her motion was unhurried but deliberate—234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZEbRfMs5l
as if she’d already heard the whole conversation,234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQnPBtLGUR
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.234Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPa4e1bcus4
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.