Chapter 7

The next morning, just as I opened the shop, a black Mercedes pulled up. It wasn't Melissa's car.

The door opened, and out stepped Alex's assistant, Sam Parker. I knew him; he'd been with Alex for five years, right from the start of his business.

When he walked in, I was busy changing the water for the lilies.

"Ms. Lane," he said, standing by the door with a bag in his hand.

"You've got the wrong person," I said.

"Mr. Sterling asked me to drop something off." He set a plain, navy blue paper bag with no logo on the…