Chapter 579 Fear Of Choices
Klaus' heart raced as he recognized Emma and he instinctively hid behind a pillar at the side of the hotel entrance.
After a few seconds, Klaus cast a furtive glance into the lobby, his heart pounding wildly, and saw Emma surrounded by Lucas and Riley once again. As she had her back turned before, for a few moments he doubted it was her, only looking at her in profile at that moment he had no more doubts.
Her blue eyes, her thin nose and her snow-white skin.... A flood of memories and emotions flooded his mind. With discretion, he took refuge behind the column again, to keep out of their field of vision.
The memory of the last time he met Emma was still as intense as an open wound, the bitter taste of disappointment lingering vividly in his mind.
What's more, images of the fateful Three Great Nations Tournament in Rise Online burst into his thoughts. Klaus had reached the long-awaited final, eager to prove his skills and win the legendary item by beating Emma. However, at that crucial moment, the appearance of Charles Richards, one of RO's developers, changed everything and turned Klaus' plans upside down.
Charles offered him a tempting proposition: to forgo the confrontation and reach level 200, and in exchange for that, Hónghé Holdings itself would begin research to treat Klaus' brother, Rhyzer Park.
Torn between the desire to face Emma for the first time and Charles' seductive offer, Klaus ended up giving in to what would be for himself and his family in the long run, jeopardizing once and for all his relationship with the girl he has been most emotionally attached to in his entire life. A decision that, as time passed, did not turn into a heavy regret, but rather a feeling of loss.
For all these reasons, at the sight of Emma again, courage deserted him, leaving him ashamed and unable to face the intense glow of her eyes. He was not ready to relive those painful memories and feared to face her judgment, after all, maybe she hated him for the shame he put her through.
Waiting for the right moment to enter the hotel, Klaus had a deep desire to have the courage to explain the whole truth to Emma. He longed to be free of the suffocating cycle of guilt, he longed for her forgiveness, but the fear of being rejected by him once again was stronger, because for him that was basically what happened when she chose not to tell him that she was also going to the Special Program, a rejection. Klaus thought he was closer to her than he really was.
Klaus looked again at the hotel lobby and saw that several people were approaching her to take her picture and talk. Not least, she was a considerably famous model and also had a great career in Rise Online.
Finally, fate smiled on him when Emma realized she was attracting too much attention in the lobby, said goodbye to Lucas and Riley and entered one of the elevators.
With a sigh, Klaus entered the hotel two minutes later. He knew that sooner or later he would have to face the past, but for now, that wasn't necessary.
When Klaus approached, it was impossible for Riley and Lucas not to notice him even before he said anything, for Klaus was tall, muscular, and quite striking overall.
Riley and Lucas smiled as they saw Klaus join them.
"Hey, Klaus! We've been expecting you," Lucas said, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "How are you feeling for the fencing tournament today?"
Klaus tried to disguise his anxiety with a smile. "I'm fine, a little anxious, but ready to do my best." he replied, without going into details.
Lucas smiled and put his arm around Klaus' shoulder. "What's up, man? You seem a little discouraged. Are you afraid of making a mess of yourself?"
Riley frowned slightly, noticing Klaus' hesitation. "You saw her earlier, didn't you?"
Klaus nodded. "Yeah..."
The leader of the Fencing Department was a little confused about what they were talking about, but realized he needed to give Klaus and Riley space to talk, so he said:
"Hey, it looks like there's someone calling me. I'm going to take it, because it must be the coordinator to talk about the bus, so I'll be right back, guys. Go get ready over there, and I'll be back in a few minutes."
Lucas walked away, leaving Klaus and Riley alone. The silence settled for a moment, until Riley broke it with a gentle question. "Klaus, it sounds like you have something on your mind. Do you want to talk about it? We're not friends, but I promise I won't tell her anything, I'm just doing this as your fencing team captain."
Klaus felt a lump in his throat, but decided he couldn't keep it all to just that, not anymore. "In the final of the Three Great Nations Tournament in Rise Online, I had the opportunity to face Emma, to face her, but I... I backed out. It was because of a deal I made with someone, but I never explained to her what really happened."
Riley seemed to understand immediately, as he'd already talked to Emma about it too. "She might think you abandoned her at that time, is that it?"
Klaus agreed, feeling the weight of guilt weigh on his shoulders. "Exactly. And I'm afraid she'll hate me for it. I don't regret what I did, but I feel like a coward for not explaining everything to her."
Riley put a hand on Klaus' shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Sometimes things are complicated, and the decisions we make can haunt us even though they seem the right ones. But you can't keep carrying that guilt around forever. Maybe it's time for you to talk and clear things up. She is here in Los Angels and so are you. Who knows when you might have another chance to meet again, right?"
Klaus nodded. "I know, I just... I don't know if I'm ready to face the consequences. What if she hates me for what I did back then?"
Riley smiled encouragingly. "You'll never know until you try, Klaus. The truth is always the best way, even if it's hard. If you care about her, you need to be honest and give her a chance to understand."
Klaus nodded, grateful for Riley's words. He knew he had a difficult conversation ahead of him, but now he felt more determined to face his past. However, this was not the time to think about all of that, as he needed to focus on not disrupting his team.