James was a man used to the grit and grime of Gotham’s darkest corners. But nothing had prepared him for the sharp contrast of the soft laugh that now echoed in his office, or the way her bright eyes lit up a room that usually reeked of smoke and stress.

She was young—too young for most people’s approval, whispers trailing behind her like shadows in the precinct halls. But age was just a number Gordon never cared much for. What mattered was the way she challenged him, softened the edges of his hard days, and somehow made him feel seen again.

In a city where trust was rare, she was the one thing he held onto.