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DIANA SAT AT HER cluttered desk, the remnants of the previous night's revelry still swirling in her mind. The Garrison had been alive with laughter and clinking glasses, yet beneath the surface, she felt a turbulent sea of emotions. Her colleagues had toasted to payday, but all she could focus on was the cold demeanor of Thomas Shelby.
Now, as she sat in the quiet classroom, the morning light filtering through dusty windows, the weight of Tommy's icy stare haunted her. Why had he been so distant? The warmth from the night before had vanished, leaving her grappling with confusion.
Finn Shelby entered the classroom, his youthful face mirroring the shadows of his older brother. "Miss Woods, can I ask you something?" His voice broke through her reverie, yet all she saw was a younger version of Tommy—cynical yet innocent.
"Sure, Finn. What's the problem?" she replied, her tone sharper than intended. But inside, she felt a flicker of nervousness. Why was she so affected by the Shelby family?
As Finn approached, his eagerness palpable, she noticed the way he nervously fidgeted with his pencil. "I think I solved this math problem, but I'm not sure." His eyes searched hers for approval, and in that moment, she felt a pang of something unfamiliar vulnerability.
Diana's usual sarcasm faltered. She was a woman hardened by loneliness, by the scars of her past,a father who had returned from war only to succumb to illness, leaving her to navigate a world that felt increasingly unwelcoming. She had spent years building walls, determined never to let anyone in again, yet here she was, quaking at the sight of a boy asking for help.
"Let's take a look," she said, forcing a smile that felt foreign. As she leaned over his paper, she couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that she was not just helping Finn, she was also confronting her own fears of connection.
Each scribbled number felt like a step deeper into uncharted territory. Diana had long since steered clear of emotional entanglements, and yet, the presence of the Shelby brothers had stirred something within her that she thought was buried.
"What do you think, Miss Woods?" Finn's innocent question snapped her back to reality.
"Looks good, but check your calculations here," she replied, her voice steadier now. Yet as she watched him smile in relief, she felt a tightening in her chest—was it fear of getting hurt, or the realization that she might actually want to be seen?
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Tommy Shelby's mind was a battlefield as he drove through the winding streets of Birmingham, the engine of his black sedan purring quietly beneath him. The city was alive, yet he felt an unsettling emptiness. The weight of his life pressed down on him, a constant reminder of the chaos he had chosen. Today, he was on a simple errand—picking up his youngest brother, Finn, from school.
