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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkE0ndZmvnp
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHueq7Tu4X
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:332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJ5jxa5I1n
He always arrived alone, and left alone.
As if he was born to be someone who didn’t need companionship.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8dWBLxJJI
Not only was he the heir of the Drake Group, long operating across Europe,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMXBHa8G7n
he was once under the guardianship of Gotham’s richest man—Bruce Wayne.
That relationship was never publicly explained in full.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeErX82OrHb
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,”332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvGXc9XeQI
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,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjNe72Vln0
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—332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWK6EBNtfIC
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—332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnOJPhXpif
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8D4yaUELaj
And yes, the family tree was a mess.
Even Tim didn’t really want to explain it—332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bChYKWMuU
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,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6wtsqz8HI
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—332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLDGu4taZ9
so the mission fell to Tim, the kid’s uncle.
He said nothing, just rolled up his shirt sleeves,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuRGx1kf2B
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.”332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdKmyFvkIX
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,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzlIlrfzlv
then bounce back up to land another kick for good measure.
He loved drawing, even though he couldn’t draw a proper square.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjREVvYg1vU
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpn8AA5sT0c
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgf0vmaich1
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,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1dw5sCbZs
perched on the edge of a high-rise building.
332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXW4dIrpuc
332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUVqyRYMaD
One thing about Finn always left people half-laughing, half-helpless.
Every single day, Finn went around announcing,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5fQ49xyJN
“When I grow up, I’m going to marry Miss Nora!”
It didn’t matter if he was eating, drawing, or even napping—332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6h0fQCl2WC
he’d suddenly declare it like it was some grand historical mission.
One time after nap time, he even told a classmate,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wtCuV4B4h
“I dreamed about the wedding, but Miss Nora hasn’t said yes yet.”
Tim had never met this “Miss Nora.”332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfEdjZe8dC
He’d only heard the name a few times from Finn at home, but hadn’t given it much thought.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDZeCcAYEb
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:332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrWkicJovb
“Me and Teacher Got Married.”
There were cakes, rings, and even one page with a veiled figure riding a dinosaur.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyV9FBlSiRh
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,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdg27hlidf1
and started working at the kindergarten right after school.
A clean, traceable record.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsW9CxDtNDv
No red flags, no suspicious social media, no odd financial activity, no name changes,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxRPDSTY8g
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRY8kj14sPl
Her gaze sparkled—like she was always ready to say,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfjjSejtC5
“Alright then, let’s play.”
Maybe that was what drew Finn to her.
Children were particularly sensitive to colors—332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24qDmMuUgV
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZzbFkzRc3
Bruce, on the other hand, had looked like he’d just swallowed a whole cup of bitter tea—332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjbcS4ovcy
clearly unprepared for that kind of question.
Tim had told himself silently,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH95qxMclHu
He’s four.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUzMUtF4N6
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—332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5no3phtV9
this time slot had been reserved just for this.
When the time came, he left the office.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWwWB4BpPH
It felt less like an errand, more like a quiet reconnaissance mission.
The kindergarten was much cleaner than he’d expected.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2LKgLgXXr
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsjBr0hHkm
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—332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qeJRywXPC
probably unsure who this sharp-dressed, serious-looking man was.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpKYFdTJee
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—332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2U0Ya4IGYI
like someone handing over an official document.
It couldn’t be helped.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38UBksVbf4
Gotham wasn’t exactly known for its safety.
This city had no shortage of missing persons and strange kidnapping cases.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1K1t8MpAyl
Even kids weren’t immune.
Especially kids like Finn—332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepr3dBWnsl
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—332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWk6Yd3wh34
clearly realizing this man wasn’t just anyone.
Tim had seen this before.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTrZEziLaI
Rich, single men always attracted attention.
He didn’t react.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLR9rrHye2
He just followed quietly, glancing at the lesson plans and class photos on the walls as they walked.
The children were all smiling brightly.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAogkIfKR3
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdYcjru9J9
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!”332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZKacuoYEi
He ran up and hugged Tim’s leg tight.
His body was warm and slightly sweaty.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfIddS6Bip
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkSX9LAnfo
He didn’t say anything, just adjusted it quietly.
Finn was chattering nonstop—332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6I3zoOct7j
something about Miss Nora wearing a red dress,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6C4VFAp4aF
Miss Nora saying his drawing improved,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1LPOKNZub
Miss Nora drinking coffee but still not napping.
“Uncle, I want to introduce you to my future bride!”332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2AwskhLso
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!”332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ396v9d6oWc
Finn’s voice sounded like he was introducing a brand-new toy.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1K97Jr7M5
He was so excited, his grin nearly touched his ears.
A woman looked up.
Her motion was unhurried but deliberate—332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqqqqWjorp
as if she’d already heard the whole conversation,332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ342D4ghINJ
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjnMftpxEv
She simply looked—calmly—at the man standing at the door in a black suit.
332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAlqYNtNnG9
And for the first time, Tim laid eyes on the blonde teacher named Nora.
332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnquyenKkDc
and then Add to home screen.