Chapter 634

“Robert?” Emily’s eyes widened instinctively at the sound of the name. The two other male guests exchanged equally complicated glances, their postures stiffening in unison. In Chicago, the name Robert was more than just familiar—it was a legend. He was the quiet yet undeniable force at the heart of the Williams family empire. His influence was woven into the city’s financial backbone, his decisions rippling through boardrooms, markets, and political circles alike. He was the man who appeared on televised news panels when the stakes were high, whose name was murmured in the same breath as power and prestige. And yet, for all the authority he wielded, Robert had never sought the public’s gaze. If anything, he resisted it. By his instruction, his staff maintained an ironclad grip on the media—allowing only grainy profile shots or distant photographs to surface, carefully avoiding anything that might reveal too much of his striking features or lofty heritage. Stories about him were meticul