Overprotected By My Tsundere CEO

Chapter 961 - 649: Living Map [04] Nora Scott: Wants to Punch Her

The man stood by the window, glanced down at the street through the gap of the open window.

This is the third floor.

If he rashly jumps down, not only will he fail to escape, but he might also get paralyzed.

—In hindsight, choosing the third floor for show wasn’t the best idea.

The phone rang three times, and someone answered.

"What’s going on?" The woman answering was impatient, her tone cold and particularly arrogant.

"Sis, it’s like this..."

The man recounted Nora Scott’s situation.

At the end, he turned around to glance behind him, pressed his tongue against his cheek, met Rosie Sullivan’s watchful gaze, smiled amicably at her, and continued, "Sis, you need to personally guide this trip. If something happens to a top-tier celebrity, we’d be criticized nationwide... maybe we should just let it go."

He gently persuaded.

Nora and Rosie exchanged a glance.

Just as Nora thought the impostor was scared of getting exposed and decided to back out with a decent excuse, a voice came from the man’s phone: "Did I say you could decide for me?!"

"..." After a two-second pause, the man immediately replied, "I’m sorry, sis."

Soon, the woman’s voice came through, "Tell her the price is non-negotiable. If she can accept it, we can discuss it in person."

"Okay."

...

The man’s phone wasn’t on speaker, but because the microphone volume was a little high, and nobody else was speaking in the room, both Nora and Rosie heard the conversation clearly due to the woman’s unrestrained voice.

Rosie frowned slightly.

This Living Map... the way of speaking lacks any "big boss" aura.

As for Nora, she rested her chin on her hand, watching the young man with interest, obscured thoughts behind her brows.

"Apologies—" the young man approached.

"What’s your name?"

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself." The young man seemed to realize this just then, paused, and exaggeratedly performed a gentlemanly bow to Nora, introducing himself, "I’m Jared Oliveira. Jared as in renowned, Oliveira as in clear skies."

Nora asked, "Have you always been the Living Map’s assistant?"

"Not always," Jared raised his head, smiled, his eyes slightly squinting, "Recently. I met sis by chance, and she took a liking to me. Before, sis was a lone wolf, going solo, without an assistant."

Nora tsked and laughed lightly, "That’s quite a change for her."

Jared smiled without flaw, "People change."

"Indeed." Nora nodded, changing the topic, "I accept the price. After all, I’m not just looking for a reliable guide, but for her reputation and prestige. The Northwest Living Map..."

Nora lowered her eyelids, hooked her fingers on her sunglasses, lifted them up, and placed them on her nose bridge.

Her crimson lips curled slightly, and Nora slowly said, "Is worth the price."

Jared paused for a moment, then nodded with a smile, "True. As long as you can accept the price, everything’s fine."

Nora stood up.

She turned back, lazily saying, "Let’s go."

*

Jared drove over and took Nora and Rosie away from Virtue Retreat.

Little did he know—

As soon as he left, Benjamin and Humphrey Jennings walked out of Virtue Retreat, then split up, driving different cars to follow behind.

*

An hour later, Jared parked the car in an old residential area awaiting demolition.

A typical urban village, dirty and messy, with narrow and congested roads, the buildings are low, dilapidated, and overcrowded with tenants. Clothes hung outside, the scene filled with a sense of pressure from all sides just by being present.

"Mr. Oliveira, Living Map lives in a place like this?" Rosie looked around, frowning slightly, her internal warning bells ringing.

It’s not a place she hasn’t been to before.

Nor a place she hasn’t lived in before.

Rosie could completely adapt.

But—

How could someone as mysterious and powerful as the Living Map, with all the backing of the Northwest forces, appear in such a shabby, crowded urban village?

If it were a mansion worth tens of millions, Rosie wouldn’t be so surprised.

Jared looked at her meaningfully, "Yes, and no."

Rosie was full of questions.

She hesitated for a moment, wanting to ask more questions, but glimpsing the calm Nora following behind, she hesitated slightly and decided not to ask, obediently following beside Nora.

...

Soon, Rosie understood what Jared meant by "yes, and no."

Passing through a chaotic residential area, Jared led them to a more normal homestay. Although the interior design wasn’t high-end, compared with the urban village surroundings, it was like day and night.

"Driving around should be more convenient than passing through the urban village, right?" Rosie Sullivan narrowed her eyes and asked Jared Oliveira cautiously.

Jared Oliveira gave her a mysterious smile but did not reply.

He walked into the guesthouse, greeted the front desk, and chatted for a bit.

Rosie Sullivan followed behind, coming up to Nora Scott, and quietly reminded her, "Hall Master, I feel there’s something strange..."

She initially wasn’t on guard.

In her understanding, meeting someone like Living Map, a big shot from the Northwest, would be a lucky encounter, and they wouldn’t set traps to harm visitors. But after hearing Jared Oliveira’s phone call with Living Map, Rosie Sullivan felt a vague sense of unease, especially when she saw Jared Oliveira taking great measures to take detours...

It all felt off.

If the intent was secrecy, why hide in a run-of-the-mill guesthouse rather than a hotel with full security measures?

Even staying at Benjamin Durant’s home would be safer than here.

Nora Scott curved her lips, "What?"

"It’s not quite like what I imagined," Rosie Sullivan said with a furrowed brow.

"What did you imagine it would be like?" Nora Scott asked.

Rosie Sullivan thought carefully and said, "More classy."

Nora Scott chuckled softly, "Maybe what you imagined is actually correct."

— In fact, Rosie Sullivan wasn’t wrong.

Nora Scott would appear in a guesthouse, but those known to the Martial World were well-appointed, with great service and security—places where generally no one would cause trouble unless they were quite bold.

Boss Alex once opened a guesthouse called the "Easy Inn" in Anchel for the Martial World folks, where every employee had ten years of martial arts training. People aware of the guesthouse’s purpose generally wouldn’t dare to stir up trouble there.

— Speaking of this, when Nora Scott first met Boss Alex, she was just starting out in the Martial World, inexperienced. She chose to stay at Easy Inn upon arriving in Anchel and ended up encountering troublemakers who irritated her short temper, leading to a beating. Then, when the employees come out to cause trouble, they were also knocked down by her. Later, Boss Alex appeared and waived her accommodation fee, calming things down.

Meanwhile, Nora Scott usually has a strict process for taking on assignments and wouldn’t personally liaise unless particularly interested.

The one Jared Oliveira is involved with... doesn’t even imitate well.

However, Nora Scott had initially suspected Alexander Vaughn might be orchestrating things behind the scenes, but with numerous flaws that anyone with even a slight understanding of the "Northwest Living Map" could spot... it seemed unlikely that Alexander Vaughn would manage to pull this off.

"You two, upstairs please." Jared Oliveira finished chatting with the receptionist and pointed to the wooden staircase, saying, "Sis is on the second floor."

Rosie Sullivan didn’t fully comprehend Nora Scott’s words. Hearing Jared Oliveira’s statement, she instinctively glanced at Nora Scott. Seeing Nora Scott head straight upstairs, she no longer hesitated and quickly followed.

...

On the second floor, Jared Oliveira arrived at a door and knocked.

"Come in."

A woman’s voice came from inside, holding an air of superiority.

Rosie Sullivan touched her chest, feeling some physiological discomfort.

Jared Oliveira seemed used to it, pushed the door open, then gestured welcomingly to the two, smiling warmly, "Please, both of you."

Rosie Sullivan still hesitated a bit, but Nora Scott stepped inside fearlessly and gracefully.

She had no choice but to follow suit.

However, upon seeing the person inside, Rosie Sullivan’s expression cracked.

A woman sat in a chair by the window, her face covered with acne, her skin somewhat dark, with a strong physique, full of muscle—if you didn’t know better, you’d think she was a fitness coach. She crossed her legs, holding an apple, took a couple of bites, and when she glanced at Nora Scott and Rosie Sullivan, her gaze carried disdain and arrogance.

Nora Scott: "..." Endure.

Dammit.

This woman sure fits the "legendary Living Map" appearance, right?!

— Full of acne, looking like a man.

No wonder people got fooled!

In comparison, the person posing as "Master Sliver" truly gave it their all.

"Hello." Rosie’s expression was somewhat stiff as she took the initiative to greet.

For some reason, upon seeing this "Living Map," Rosie’s initial skepticism instantly heightened from three to seven.

Taking another bite of the apple, the woman adopted a carefree posture, but didn’t quite master it, as every move appeared "forced."

She raised her chin, "Call me sis."

Rosie’s forehead twitched, she took a deep breath, and obediently called out, "Sis."

The woman paid her no further mind, her gaze fixating on Nora Scott with an aloof demeanor, "Nora Scott, is it?"

"Yes."

Nora Scott silently clenched her molars, yet her lips remained poised in a curve. She slightly bowed her head, removed her sunglasses, revealing her stunningly beautiful face.

The woman was taken aback for a moment—prettier than she appeared in the photos.

"Do you know my rules?" the woman asked.

"What rules?"

Nora Scott’s rules varied with her mood, one might suddenly pop into existence; truly she had no idea which one this woman referred to.

"Right," the woman waved her hand, stubbornly trying to assume an enigmatic high-standing figure, "How could you celebrities possibly understand Martial World rules?"

Nora Scott: "..." Really want to punch her.