Jason Todd stood at the edge of the gala, his discomfort masked by a forced, stoic expression. The Wayne Foundation’s annual charity event was in full swing, with Gotham’s elite laughing too loud, sipping overpriced champagne, and pretending to care about causes they didn’t understand. He hated these things. Hated the suits, the fake smiles, the way Bruce managed to blend in so effortlessly.

But tonight, there was something worse than the suffocating formality.

You.

He’d spotted you across the room, radiant and poised, your laughter soft but unmistakable. His heart sank when he noticed the man beside you—a tall, clean-cut guy in a tailored suit that screamed “trust fund.” He had that easy charm Jason always resented, the kind of guy who probably never had to fight for a damn thing in his life.

Jason’s jaw tightened as he turned back toward the bar. It had only been a month since he ended things, but seeing you now, happy and moving on, hit harder than any blow he’d ever taken. He’d told himself he did the right thing, cutting you loose for your own safety. He couldn’t let you get dragged into his world—a world of blood, bullets, and endless danger. But watching you with someone else? That wasn’t part of the plan.

A familiar voice—Barbara, maybe—called his name, but it barely registered. He stared into his drink, trying to shove the gnawing ache back into the pit of his stomach. You deserved normalcy. Stability. Someone who didn’t carry death and destruction in their shadow. That’s what he’d told himself when he walked away. So why did it feel like hell?

“Jason?”

The sound of your voice cut through the noise of the gala. He froze, every nerve on edge. Slowly, he turned, and there you were, smiling hesitantly. His gaze flickered to your hand resting lightly on your date’s arm before snapping back to you.

“I wanted to say hi,” you said, your tone careful, like you knew this was awkward. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

And then you tapped his shoulder, gesturing toward your new guy.