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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TZT8DLMx7
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXLwLNxsFP
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:266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRepipN9w7u
He always arrived alone, and left alone.
As if he was born to be someone who didn’t need companionship.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLZmUV7jOO
Not only was he the heir of the Drake Group, long operating across Europe,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4b2OOnAfoJ
he was once under the guardianship of Gotham’s richest man—Bruce Wayne.
That relationship was never publicly explained in full.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyX2DABAnCb
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,”266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YVTsvtUza
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,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPi33bZJKFi
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—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvU60ZjXFx
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—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eoUmvlzm6
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqg2hlrePXq
And yes, the family tree was a mess.
Even Tim didn’t really want to explain it—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjL5tMxeHZI
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,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cgEhon8xO
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—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWmHKsGiIh
so the mission fell to Tim, the kid’s uncle.
He said nothing, just rolled up his shirt sleeves,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtXnQ12u7O
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.”266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjU14RKDhx
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,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOV6IDWkYe
then bounce back up to land another kick for good measure.
He loved drawing, even though he couldn’t draw a proper square.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzg17DKNe1
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgoA1sc1Hp
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9OicM5xfn
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,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSGP5vIxeq
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,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6z7lgNS1K
“When I grow up, I’m going to marry Miss Nora!”
It didn’t matter if he was eating, drawing, or even napping—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5VehLsJXd
he’d suddenly declare it like it was some grand historical mission.
One time after nap time, he even told a classmate,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucC8pEGjyv
“I dreamed about the wedding, but Miss Nora hasn’t said yes yet.”
Tim had never met this “Miss Nora.”266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswnOu15mAj
He’d only heard the name a few times from Finn at home, but hadn’t given it much thought.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrJ0rEN9c5
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:266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUkr2P7K9D
“Me and Teacher Got Married.”
There were cakes, rings, and even one page with a veiled figure riding a dinosaur.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86R2Q3xXzs
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,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwH3OHU1C9u
and started working at the kindergarten right after school.
A clean, traceable record.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovQblObtvw
No red flags, no suspicious social media, no odd financial activity, no name changes,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmsYXxRY4R
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIlJnqAEEH
Her gaze sparkled—like she was always ready to say,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFiQa6PhAK
“Alright then, let’s play.”
Maybe that was what drew Finn to her.
Children were particularly sensitive to colors—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSQk49ynJD
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0eNqOACzO
Bruce, on the other hand, had looked like he’d just swallowed a whole cup of bitter tea—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTQsQLRT60
clearly unprepared for that kind of question.
Tim had told himself silently,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49lR6wMxop
He’s four.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9uU00Y9Cl
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—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03Jeg5p9ZS
this time slot had been reserved just for this.
When the time came, he left the office.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lkA6cC6B6
It felt less like an errand, more like a quiet reconnaissance mission.
The kindergarten was much cleaner than he’d expected.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8PVl9XnUl
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOSsDkWXVe
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—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxVJ7yd17O
probably unsure who this sharp-dressed, serious-looking man was.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTZoYSbx2Q
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—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxBNtskd9W
like someone handing over an official document.
It couldn’t be helped.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33mbFlWGcP
Gotham wasn’t exactly known for its safety.
This city had no shortage of missing persons and strange kidnapping cases.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMmIeUGLDb
Even kids weren’t immune.
Especially kids like Finn—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRu2MT0lspk
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—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGCvcgVzJq
clearly realizing this man wasn’t just anyone.
Tim had seen this before.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2GPkOEveu
Rich, single men always attracted attention.
He didn’t react.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEbhSP5lUK
He just followed quietly, glancing at the lesson plans and class photos on the walls as they walked.
The children were all smiling brightly.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoc1a0SQBU
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQYV5j87v9
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!”266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVeck5cSBWv
He ran up and hugged Tim’s leg tight.
His body was warm and slightly sweaty.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2iD1CElmBh
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAAH4CFw6a
He didn’t say anything, just adjusted it quietly.
Finn was chattering nonstop—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjgBqUj3qE
something about Miss Nora wearing a red dress,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJNud7q2u2
Miss Nora saying his drawing improved,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIThSY9Z4hA
Miss Nora drinking coffee but still not napping.
“Uncle, I want to introduce you to my future bride!”266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mFWDYxzUw
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!”266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AOdXjAGou
Finn’s voice sounded like he was introducing a brand-new toy.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLp0FnG0Us
He was so excited, his grin nearly touched his ears.
A woman looked up.
Her motion was unhurried but deliberate—266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCmjhB0XhP
as if she’d already heard the whole conversation,266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pVHYLzjKH
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.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHDEkC6e9u
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.