"Silly girl, do you think I've gone senile?"
Grandma Eleanor shot Mira an affectionate glare.
If things were normal, would Owen really be throwing around phrases like 'I missed you'?
"It's fine that you're dating. I'm certainly not upset about it."
The old woman smiled as they all settled around the dining table.
"Grandma, I only agreed to it a couple of days ago. I just hadn't found the time to tell you yet."
"It's alright. I don't care about the formalities, as long as you two are happy together."
She chuckled warmly.
She had always thought highly of Owen. He was capable, brilliant, and free of the usual toxic habits that plagued wealthy heirs.
"Don't worry, Grandma Eleanor. I'll treat Mira like a queen,"
Owen chimed in smoothly.
After dinner, the elderly woman discreetly pulled Mira into a private room.
"Grandma, what are we doing in here? Owen and I still have a pile of work to get through."
Eleanor let out an exasperated sigh, frustrated by her granddaughter's dense pragmatism. "I brought you in here for a reason.
What work? You could work your entire life and never finish it all. Would it kill you to put it aside for one night?
You employ an entire army of people. What are you paying them for if you have to do everything yourself?"
For the first time, Mira felt the full weight of her grandmother's authority.
"But..."
In Mira's mind, employees were like kites, and the boss held the string. The boss dictated the direction and the height of the flight.
Because of that, a boss's duties were entirely irreplaceable.
"I know exactly what you're thinking. A career is important, but a marriage and a family are the foundation of a person's life. They are just as crucial.
You pour time and energy into your business, but a romance requires management too.
It's not easy finding someone who actually complements you. You have to cherish it."
"Even if we didn't approve, you could just go find someone else. What's there to worry about?"
Mira teased as they walked.
"Easy for you to say. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find someone like you?"
"True. You definitely wouldn't find another me."
Mira had zero issues acknowledging her own brilliance.
"But you could always settle."
"Nonsense. How can anyone settle when it comes to love?"
If he had been willing to settle, he would have married years ago. Why else would he have stayed single this long?
"Yeah, you make a fair point. Romance isn't really something you can compromise on."
Mira admitted, realizing he was right.
Owen glared at her playfully, choosing not to argue further.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Too Late to Hold Me Back