Crossing Lines

Chapter 3:

Crossing Lines:

Emma's alarm went off at 6 AM sharp, just like Alexander had programmed into her new schedule. She'd been following his detailed daily routine for two weeks now, and her body had adapted to the strict timing. Early to bed, early to rise, structured meals, scheduled exercise.

She had to admit it was working. Her energy levels were higher, her focus sharper, and her research productivity had increased dramatically. The literature review she'd submitted had been returned with only minor corrections - a victory compared to her previous work.

But it was the personal attention from Alexander that was affecting her most.

Their twice-weekly supervision meetings had evolved into something much more intense than academic discussions. Yesterday, he'd spent twenty minutes critiquing not just her writing style but her posture while she worked, the way she organized her notes, even how she held her pen.

"Details matter, Emma," he'd said, standing behind her chair an