He was in a particularly bad mood and that did not escape Bruce's observation.

Tim was an expert at masking his emotions but over the years, only one person could understand fully what he was hiding from the rest of them. Bruce could look past his facade because he too was very adept at concealing his true feelings from others.

"Tim, is everything alright?" He asked, knowing he was returning from the Donnelley residence.

"Yeah, of course, aside from the fact that I am about to get legally bound to a hypocrite... All's good."

The sarcasm was very evident in his tone as he set the electric kettle to heat water for his coffee, fetching the cup and coffee jar from the small cabinet Bruce kept for him. 

"Tell me what happened," the man prompted him, "I should know since I am the one who asked you to get involved in the first place."

"She blackmailed me and I can't believe that there is someone who exceeds the level of hypocrisy I am capable of," Tim remarked, telling Bruce everything that had happened with Roxanne Donnelley so far.

He told her about the premise of the contract, the additions he had proposed as well as her refusal to let him have the termination rights. In his opinion, it was like signing a lifetime slavery document that he definitely didn't want to do. 

"You should know I'm putting my life on the line for you," Tim concluded, finishing the hot coffee he had just prepared though he did not seem to be in the mood to take a seat.

The man thought it all over then spoke, "I don't trust anyone else to carry out this mission but at the same time I don't want you to end up in a mess. You shouldn't sign the contract. Tell her you won't, I'll handle the rest."

He shook his head, "it's too late for that now, she won't let me back off."

"Did you sign it already then?"

"No but what difference does it make? I'll have to work with her regardless and if she's including the rest of my points, I have to negotiate enough to reach a condition under which the contract would fail even if she doesn't terminate me," he remarked, pacing in the study as he let his thoughts reel, "because I can't spend the rest of my life as someone's fake boyfriend, that's highly unfair."

"But you are going to work on this case...?" Bruce asked speculatively.

"Yes. What other choice do I have? We're not going to get another opportunity to find out about the Donnelleys firsthand." He shrugged, "or I can take the initiative to bore her so much that she will let go of me if all other ploys fail."

Bruce knew he was being frantic right then but he would definitely figure something out, just like he always did.

"I am sure you will work something out," he remarked, "but I'm telling you once again, if you want to back out, you can. I will not force you."

"I'm in too deep to back out, guess I'll have to deal with it," he mumbled, brain spinning as he thought of ways to make her agree, "I'll figure it out by evening and that's when I have to go to her again to sign that thing..."

Bruce nodded but then added as an afterthought, "one more thing before you go. Romero has come back to Gotham. If you meet him, be on your guard."

"Appreciate the heads up but there are more pressing matters at hand than Romero... I'll see what I can do."

He left the study but had made Bruce worried about the entire ordeal. He had felt Roxanne would be easy bait but she was indeed Romero Donnelley's sister and couldn't be taken lightly.

And with her brother in Gotham too, things had more potential of getting worse for the Waynes rather than the other way round.

***

Tim's deduction of Roxanne Donnelley being a hypocrite wasn't far from the truth. And it strengthened the more he spent time with her.

She had made it seem that the contract was fair for both parties and stressed the importance of them treating each other as equals yet she had the audacity to deny him the termination rights. That refusal in itself was clear opposition to her words earlier.

And it made him more cautious around her because he had seen how easily she could change sides for her benefit. Signing a contract with someone as unreliable as the Donnelley heiress could put him in a lot of trouble.

Right then they were sitting in the garden as the weather was pleasant and she had led him outside. Her floral sundress blended with the environment and she seemed in a much more pleasant mood than earlier.

Tim however was slightly distracted, thinking about the ways he could convince her to reach a suitable agreement regarding the contract's termination if the need arose. She had given him the newly printed document that included his points as well and he was going through it.

"I didn't mean to blackmail you," she spoke up but he didn't reply, checking it once again to make sure she hadn't changed anything else, "and I do not mean to be so selfish either to keep you bound to this contract forever. Trust me, I will terminate it the second everything gets sorted out."

"We have no guarantee of how long it would take and I am afraid you have not given me any reason to be able to trust you," he replied with a slightly cold tone.

"Patience, Mister Drake, is a rewarding virtue," she remarked lightly.

"And hypocrisy is a punishable sin."

She laughed, the clear sound of it resonating around her, "I like your sense of humor."

She noticed the slight frown on his face and his stiff demeanor which clearly indicated that he had not said that as a humorous remark. And she knew the reason for his sour mood as well so she decided to do something to uplift it.

"I had been thinking this through last night and there's one thing I can do for you," she spoke up, gaining his attention, "we can keep the termination rights joint. That means the contract will not be terminated if either of the parties disagrees. Both of us will have to sign the deed together. Is that better now?"

He thought about it for a while, understanding what she was proposing. "It's just a sugarcoated way of putting it but in legal aspects, I think it is better than your first option."

"I thought so," she smiled, pointing to the newly added clause in the termination section, "and I have added it here too so I don't have to take out another print. If everything else is settled and you still want to work with me, please put your signature here. I will scan it then and email you a copy after."

He had picked up the pen but hesitated to sign. His eyes were still going through the multiple lines, hoping there wasn't anything suspicious he had missed.

"I can sign it first," she took the pen from him and put down her signature, then pushed the file back to him, "and we can always modify things later. I will not force you into anything that makes you uncomfortable. I promise."

Her voice was very promising indeed but he didn't know her that well enough to trust her immediately.

However, just as he was about to sign the contract, they were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Roxanne gestured for him to close the file, placing the dish of scones on top of it to conceal it. Then she rose from her seat gracefully and he too turned to see who had turned up there.

"Romero, what a lovely surprise!" A bright smile donned her lips as she stepped ahead to greet her brother.

Tim had left the seat as well, his eyes cautiously meeting the elder Donnelley heir. His features were stern and radiated the power of a man having an empire under his feet. Both siblings had very different auras but the resemblance they shared with each other was striking.

It seemed as if Roxanne was delighted to see her brother there and vice versa as he gave her a hug and handed her a box as a present.

"Roxy, how have you been?" He asked, watching her open the box immediately, revealing a rather exquisite necklace with pearls and alexandrites set within, "I brought this for you."

"Thank you so much. I love it." She smiled but then turned to see Tim who her brother was looking at curiously, "ah I forgot to introduce you two. This is my brother as you might have guessed now and Rom, this is Mister Timothy Drake."

"Mister Timothy Drake?" He rose an eyebrow at his sister skeptically, "are you normally that formal with everyone?"

"Well, you seemed to have caught me again..." She shook her head, a light twinkle in her brown eyes as she reintroduced him. "This is Tim, yes he is my boyfriend. And I am sure he is delighted to see you," she had turned to face Tim again, expecting him to follow the lead.

She was one hell of a hypocrite, he thought but extended his hand toward Romero. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Mister Donnelley."

The man's grip was firm as he shook his hand, dark brown eyes scrutinizing him closely but then a slow smile creased his lips, "a pleasure indeed, Tim."

***