Episode 4 – Lines We Shouldn't Cross
The campus was buzzing with spring air, students scattered across the lawns with books, laughter, and music. But Professor Max Donovan had no time for the warmth of the season. His steps were brisk, his mind sharp, and his schedule tighter than ever.
Yet, when he saw Lila Bennett sitting under a blossoming cherry tree, everything slowed. She was scribbling in her notebook, her hair loose around her shoulders, the sunlight catching on her earrings. She wasn't looking for him. And maybe that's what made his chest tighten.
He forced himself to keep walking. But Lila looked up, catching his eye.
"Professor!" she called, waving him over.
He hesitated, then sighed and walked toward her. "Miss Bennett, are you skipping class again?"
Lila grinned, patting the grass beside her. "It's not skipping if I'm studying out here, right?"
Against his better judgment, Max sat down, leaving a polite distance between them. "What exactly are you studying?"
She flipped her notebook around. On the page was a sketch—not numbers or charts, but a delicate drawing of a café storefront, with flowers spilling from its windows.
Max raised an eyebrow. "This doesn't look like market analysis."It's Maya's dream café," she explained softly. "She wants to expand one day. I thought maybe I could help her… in my own way."
For a moment, Max just looked at her. Not as a professor. Not as a student. But as a young woman with kindness and passion shining through her.
"You care deeply for people," he said quietly.
Her smile faltered into something more vulnerable. "Is that a bad thing?"
"No," Max admitted. "It's… rare."
Their eyes met, and suddenly the quiet between them wasn't academic—it was dangerous.
---
That evening, at the Knight family residence, Clara cornered Max again during dinner.
"You've been distracted lately," she teased, swirling her wine. "Don't tell me a certain student is the reason."
Max stiffened. "Clara."
"Oh, come on," Clara said with a mischievous smirk. "She's young, bright, and you're—well, you. Don't think I haven't noticed the way you hesitate when her name comes up."
Max set down his glass with deliberate calm. "Even if that were true, it would be inappropriate."
Clara leaned closer, lowering her voice. "The heart doesn't care about rules, Max. Only people do."
His jaw tightened, but her words stayed with him long after dinner ended.The next day, Lila was walking across campus when a group of students teased her. "Careful, Bennett," one of them snickered. "People say you're the professor's favorite. Maybe that's how you're passing his class."
Her cheeks burned, but she forced a laugh and walked away. Still, the sting of their words clung to her.
Later, she found Max in his office, papers scattered around him. "Professor… do people think less of me because I ask you questions?" she asked, her voice small.
Max looked up sharply. "Who said that?"
"It doesn't matter," Lila said, trying to smile. "I just don't want you to think I'm—"
He stood, cutting her off. "Lila." His voice was firmer now, but his eyes softened. "You've done nothing wrong. Don't let anyone make you believe otherwise."
Her breath caught. It was the first time he'd said her name without 'Miss Bennett.'
For a second, the room felt too small for the emotions between them. Then Max stepped back, his walls slamming up again.This… whatever this is, it can't happen," he said quietly.
Lila's lips curved into the faintest smile. "That's what you think."
And as she left his office, Max realized something terrifying—his heart had already begun to betray his rules.