We Want Mommy Not You Daddy (Cedar) novel Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Eventually, I left the studio, my mind heavy with questions.

“How is Aria? Did she speak again?” Daisy immediately approached me.

She noticed the ruined painting in my hand and faltered. “Why are you taking that?”

“This painting is quite different from Aria’s usual style. I’m going to show it to her therapist,” I replied coldly. “Aria’s care still rests in your hands. I expect your full attention.”

“Ridley, you know I’ve always treated Aria like my own daughter. I will continue to do my absolute best for her.”

I gave her a long, searching look before turning to leave.

Outside the apartment, I spoke quietly into the darkness. “Sean. Come out.”

From the oak tree near the entrance, a lithe young man dropped down with practiced ease.

“Sir.” He stood respectfully in the shadows, awaiting instructions.

“Has Aria shown any unusual behavior while staying here?”

“No, sir. Miss Aria follows her regular routine. She paints most of the day and rarely leaves her studio.”

“Starting tomorrow, shadow her. Never be more than thirty feet away from her. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

Sean acknowledged the order and leapt back into the tree, disappearing among the branches.

I sat in my car, massaging my temples. If there were any other solution, I would never leave my own flesh and blood in the care of a woman I didn’t fully trust.

But Aria refused to return home.

The mere mention of coming back to the main house filled her with terror.

I couldn’t understand why my daughter harbored such intense fear toward her family… No matter how many child psychologists I’d consulted, none could provide an answer.

And then there was another puzzle-

8:53 Fri, Nov 7

Chapter 72

I opened the painting in my hands. Why did Aria’s eyes look so similar to Cedar’s? Was there a connection I was missing?

As I was about to drive away, my phone vibrated in my pocket,

It was Albert.

“Mr. Sterling, I’ve completed the background check you requested. Ms. Wright was adopted by the Wright family when she was six months old. She moved out of the family home at eighteen for college but still regularly accompanied Mrs. Wright and Selena Wright to various social events. According to my research, Ms. Wright appeared at social functions approximately every two months. She has never disappeared from public view for as long as ten months.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Are there photographs from each of these appearances?”

If she had never disappeared for ten months, how could she have had a child out of wedlock?

Or was she lying?

“Being adopted made Ms. Wright an easy target at these events. Some of the socialites would deliberately take bad photos of her and spread them online. There’s documentation of nearly every public appearance she made, but it’s all meant to make her look bad.”

“Get rid of all those photos,” I said coldly.

“Yes, sir.”

“Hold on.” I hesitated. “And find out about that child–the one who was with her.”

I ended the call and stared at the partly damaged painting again. Those eyes… they were unmistakably the same as Cedar’s. And now that

I thought about it, the woman in the painting wore the exact same outfit she had on earlier today.

A strange, unsettling thought began to form in my mind.

Could it be possible that Cedar had somehow met my daughter today? And if so, why would Daisy lie about it?

More importantly, why would Aria, who rarely showed emotion toward anyone, look so comfortable in this stranger’s arms?

I started the engine, my mind racing with questions that demanded answers.

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