Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 246

Mira blinked up at Owen with exaggerated innocence. "Aren't I just the most responsible kid ever?"

Owen turned his head away, trying to hide his amusement. "Incredibly responsible."

She had literally stolen his entire lecture word for word. It was impossible to play the strict parental figure with her.

"So, Owen, did you date anyone when you were in school?"

"No."

"Oh. Do you have a girlfriend now?"

"Why is a kid asking so many personal questions?"

"I'm just worried you're going to die alone.

"You walk around with that freezing predatory gaze all day. You look totally unapproachable. Women are probably terrified of you."

The Iron Wolves chuckled quietly to themselves. If Owen ever dropped his icy exterior, he'd have women throwing themselves at his feet.

The General Manager of the steakhouse, Grant Ziegler, was someone Owen had headhunted during their initial recruiting phase.

Grant was previously the GM of a prestigious fine-dining chain in Aethelgard but was forced out after clashing with the owner's nephew.

He saw EcoRide's aggressive hiring ads and moved to Melvion City specifically to apply.

Owen had sensed Grant's potential and temporarily parked him as an assistant in the tech department to keep him on the payroll.

When Mira greenlit the steakhouse, Master Ellis ran a deep background check on Grant. His resume and the story of his firing checked out perfectly, so they promoted him to head the new restaurant venture.

He was incredibly competent but had a rigid, uncompromising management style that often rubbed people the wrong way.

No one was perfect. Fortunately, Mira's corporate culture was a strict meritocracy. Hard work and measurable contributions dictated your salary, meaning Grant's bluntness wasn't an issue.

Knowing that some situations required a softer touch, Mira assigned a highly charismatic vice manager to balance Grant's strictness. The two complemented each other perfectly.

Grant led Mira and Owen on a tour of the restaurant's layout.

...it felt incredibly dated. It was rigid and archaic, completely out of touch with the sleek, fast-paced expectations of modern diners.

Solflare Hearth & Grill didn't even need to be geographically close to Azure Skillet. Their unparalleled flavor profiles and flawless customer service would effortlessly steal the market share.

They had also installed a state-of-the-art surveillance system covering every inch of the kitchen and dining floors.

Azure Skillet's current PR nightmare was triggered by foreign objects in their food and their disastrous mishandling of the fallout. Despite frantic damage control, they were still bleeding customers.

Solflare's security footage would be tightly controlled by a dedicated team. If a customer ever claimed something was wrong with their meal, the tape would be pulled immediately.

If it was a setup, they had undeniable proof. If it was an internal failure, they could pinpoint the exact breakdown in protocol and neutralize it instantly.

Overall, Mira was highly impressed. Barring any disasters, they were on track for a massive grand opening.

Mira had originally planned to head straight home, but since Grant was there, she decided to treat her management team to dinner to reward their hard work.

They had barely taken their seats at a nearby bistro when Ethan Mercer walked over to their table.