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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Iz6kdJeiQ
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIJ8xg0Kzo
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:326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIxGz7p5mM
He always arrived alone, and left alone.
As if he was born to be someone who didn’t need companionship.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMSqkO6MUcL
Not only was he the heir of the Drake Group, long operating across Europe,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5YLwi8xvXm
he was once under the guardianship of Gotham’s richest man—Bruce Wayne.
That relationship was never publicly explained in full.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8OvXN4sU8
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,”326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwbORfV362
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,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBY1Wxq86T2
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—326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfaLEWe2jw
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—326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC77QcJ97Vl
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DZIfc5ZWG
And yes, the family tree was a mess.
Even Tim didn’t really want to explain it—326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcoUCALJW5u
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,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7l5D70TL2
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—326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9156U3he4t
so the mission fell to Tim, the kid’s uncle.
He said nothing, just rolled up his shirt sleeves,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qw5RsGbb3
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.”326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5ryg5SeDZ
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,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhg5rdFsoWC
then bounce back up to land another kick for good measure.
He loved drawing, even though he couldn’t draw a proper square.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdEIXFBSDc
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wO1m6LX0s
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsKpKnSuKG
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,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2NMPDuoua
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,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcxdoOMayz
“When I grow up, I’m going to marry Miss Nora!”
It didn’t matter if he was eating, drawing, or even napping—326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmAo5q9LYQ
he’d suddenly declare it like it was some grand historical mission.
One time after nap time, he even told a classmate,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NDYehNonr
“I dreamed about the wedding, but Miss Nora hasn’t said yes yet.”
Tim had never met this “Miss Nora.”326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡna362woOUv
He’d only heard the name a few times from Finn at home, but hadn’t given it much thought.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEMYAMwFT0
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:326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdr4DdySWt
“Me and Teacher Got Married.”
There were cakes, rings, and even one page with a veiled figure riding a dinosaur.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlorda2H6ny
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,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCgvK5smV8
and started working at the kindergarten right after school.
A clean, traceable record.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRzTMGOWwy
No red flags, no suspicious social media, no odd financial activity, no name changes,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWus3bNNHVX
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdDnVDXUxX
Her gaze sparkled—like she was always ready to say,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8B2bX9GSza
“Alright then, let’s play.”
Maybe that was what drew Finn to her.
Children were particularly sensitive to colors—326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6MgMuPedi
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAwKUxCFGE
Bruce, on the other hand, had looked like he’d just swallowed a whole cup of bitter tea—326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UMRWyf3z5
clearly unprepared for that kind of question.
Tim had told himself silently,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0Wi6n6Ipi
He’s four.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHKUzblGpM
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—326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nB8PnISIs
this time slot had been reserved just for this.
When the time came, he left the office.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Pq4DVjaEj
It felt less like an errand, more like a quiet reconnaissance mission.
The kindergarten was much cleaner than he’d expected.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsNGvL5bFA
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVi03V1uCA
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—326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CeMetTkvs
probably unsure who this sharp-dressed, serious-looking man was.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSD2BPEMi5
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—326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfn5kCYtjl
like someone handing over an official document.
It couldn’t be helped.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCm9nrplOr
Gotham wasn’t exactly known for its safety.
This city had no shortage of missing persons and strange kidnapping cases.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0huiyp4mXY
Even kids weren’t immune.
Especially kids like Finn—326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZLrk43PrL
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—326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5w9EQBtCce
clearly realizing this man wasn’t just anyone.
Tim had seen this before.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQvgO5BBQe
Rich, single men always attracted attention.
He didn’t react.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxrWcV5eyG
He just followed quietly, glancing at the lesson plans and class photos on the walls as they walked.
The children were all smiling brightly.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtW5BHvHxDN
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFtfsrqISX
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!”326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeISg8VmGib
He ran up and hugged Tim’s leg tight.
His body was warm and slightly sweaty.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZQIdad4fJ
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cfJrtv84L
He didn’t say anything, just adjusted it quietly.
Finn was chattering nonstop—326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbPwGp4cnR
something about Miss Nora wearing a red dress,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VgpSAq4T6
Miss Nora saying his drawing improved,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4myYTqyfPU
Miss Nora drinking coffee but still not napping.
“Uncle, I want to introduce you to my future bride!”326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGR1CQCMnTj
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!”326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCZLyUgwYD
Finn’s voice sounded like he was introducing a brand-new toy.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJP4aUOyRGk
He was so excited, his grin nearly touched his ears.
A woman looked up.
Her motion was unhurried but deliberate—326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAQBklNKN5
as if she’d already heard the whole conversation,326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSk3SYTYsp
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHO8qe1yNS
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.