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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljXpWuMXSp
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmS2z9pJoT
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:331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLNfaMkVld
He always arrived alone, and left alone.
As if he was born to be someone who didn’t need companionship.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1q0ijsTLo
Not only was he the heir of the Drake Group, long operating across Europe,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqZHUxPsKq
he was once under the guardianship of Gotham’s richest man—Bruce Wayne.
That relationship was never publicly explained in full.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOmL07BjIb
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,”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpbCTFkciO
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,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMvB85dCnh
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—331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TdncvKjJ0
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—331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyKQ07fEHp
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8eZyJXMBOT
And yes, the family tree was a mess.
Even Tim didn’t really want to explain it—331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSC8wy09dnG
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,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9ndBaQkGZ
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—331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1yEo326kO
so the mission fell to Tim, the kid’s uncle.
He said nothing, just rolled up his shirt sleeves,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Lg2StBYed
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.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uzUFZOQCU
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,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2B8DXwZua
then bounce back up to land another kick for good measure.
He loved drawing, even though he couldn’t draw a proper square.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexq0tUvyJk
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXECPAaeaTv
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjvCkGLoQU
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,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpeQ0VQfrYI
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,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3GTgt8foU
“When I grow up, I’m going to marry Miss Nora!”
It didn’t matter if he was eating, drawing, or even napping—331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2nip1Hy1b
he’d suddenly declare it like it was some grand historical mission.
One time after nap time, he even told a classmate,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHXB984Yqq
“I dreamed about the wedding, but Miss Nora hasn’t said yes yet.”
Tim had never met this “Miss Nora.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHrqRDeqm5
He’d only heard the name a few times from Finn at home, but hadn’t given it much thought.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLI7mxPVoBH
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:331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS428LL908S
“Me and Teacher Got Married.”
There were cakes, rings, and even one page with a veiled figure riding a dinosaur.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwS7en4WYTE
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,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LFc0hlzbL
and started working at the kindergarten right after school.
A clean, traceable record.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzJL94vFjx
No red flags, no suspicious social media, no odd financial activity, no name changes,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7w89NCYbWq
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdmrunKEdU
Her gaze sparkled—like she was always ready to say,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7RQNH2yWX
“Alright then, let’s play.”
Maybe that was what drew Finn to her.
Children were particularly sensitive to colors—331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkySc7GNdSs
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5s9gOs1xG
Bruce, on the other hand, had looked like he’d just swallowed a whole cup of bitter tea—331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxn5JmeEca
clearly unprepared for that kind of question.
Tim had told himself silently,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuy3JEij1za
He’s four.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMh6b2TGML
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—331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eqsLwsxWF
this time slot had been reserved just for this.
When the time came, he left the office.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUMi64G3fr
It felt less like an errand, more like a quiet reconnaissance mission.
The kindergarten was much cleaner than he’d expected.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvR6ltvwWb
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItUgL2uEIh
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—331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2L8ZNsqgF
probably unsure who this sharp-dressed, serious-looking man was.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEraXniS9QQ
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—331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaVJ1ley7l
like someone handing over an official document.
It couldn’t be helped.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUzqBmOV6R
Gotham wasn’t exactly known for its safety.
This city had no shortage of missing persons and strange kidnapping cases.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDyD3inECL
Even kids weren’t immune.
Especially kids like Finn—331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mmUBNa1I6
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—331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLjEWzPEfI
clearly realizing this man wasn’t just anyone.
Tim had seen this before.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uIKhhHhdI
Rich, single men always attracted attention.
He didn’t react.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIF4dehNYQ
He just followed quietly, glancing at the lesson plans and class photos on the walls as they walked.
The children were all smiling brightly.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDKzcFuJ9f
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JsOo2SVog
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!”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mfjOFOX5x
He ran up and hugged Tim’s leg tight.
His body was warm and slightly sweaty.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1UUYj2UAG
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSr4N6PmnbL
He didn’t say anything, just adjusted it quietly.
Finn was chattering nonstop—331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMjePvNP0U
something about Miss Nora wearing a red dress,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9WSFyGLr3
Miss Nora saying his drawing improved,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczsqa9tqgv
Miss Nora drinking coffee but still not napping.
“Uncle, I want to introduce you to my future bride!”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡve86XDe11L
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!”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUcvfhmsDk
Finn’s voice sounded like he was introducing a brand-new toy.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjD2qUmJ7M
He was so excited, his grin nearly touched his ears.
A woman looked up.
Her motion was unhurried but deliberate—331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPGCq10SGx
as if she’d already heard the whole conversation,331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IiTtgKWuu
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriV87pZnBd
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.