Tiana's POV
I smashed my alarm clock against the wall before it could finish ringing.
The stupid thing had been going off every hour all night, telling me to practice my lines for tonight. But I didn't need telling. I had been awake the whole time, going over my plan again and again.
Tonight was the night I would destroy Joan Robert.
"Tiana!" My roommate Kelly beat on my door. "What was that noise? It's six in the morning!"
"Sorry!" I yelled back. "Just getting ready for work!"
Work. That was a joke. While Joan Robert got to play at fancy concerts, I was stuck serving coffee to rude customers at the music café downtown. But after tonight, everything would change.
I looked at myself in the mirror and practiced my innocent victim face. Wide eyes, trembling lip, hurt face. Perfect. Anyone who saw this face would want to protect me from big, mean Joan Robert.
My phone buzzed with a text from my friend Marcus at the music blog: "Joan's going to be at the Industry Mixer tonight at the Harmony Hotel. VIP room. Thought you'd want to know."
My heart started racing with excitement. This was it. This was my time.
The Industry Mixer was where all the important music people went to make deals and meet new acts. I had been trying to get asked for months, but nobody thought I was important enough.
But Joan would be there. And I had a plan to make sure everyone noticed me.
I grabbed my laptop and watched my edited movie one more time. It was perfect. I had put together different clips to make it look like Joan was saying terrible things to me. The audio was a little choppy, but most people wouldn't notice when they were busy being offended.
But the video wasn't enough. I needed something live, something happening in real time that people could watch with their own eyes.
I picked up my phone and called the number for the Harmony Hotel.
"Hello, this is Tiana Reed calling about tonight's Industry Mixer. I'm a new artist, and I was asking if there were any spots left?"
"I'm sorry, miss. The event is sold out and invitation-only."
"Oh." I made my voice sound sad and disappointed. "I just really admire Joan Robert, and I was hoping to meet her tonight. She's been such an inspiration to young singers like me."
There was a pause. "Well... we do have one waitress job open for tonight. It doesn't pay much, but you'd be able to see the show."
Perfect. "That would be amazing! Thank you so much!"
Working as a waitress would be even better than being a guest. I could move around easily, get close to Joan without looking suspicious, and no one would pay attention to just another server.
I spent the rest of the day prepping. I tried looking hurt and innocent in front of my mirror. I rehearsed what I would say to Joan to make her react in a way that would sound mean when taken out of context.
The key was to ask questions that would make Joan give short, dismissive answers. Questions about my work that she would brush off because she was busy or distracted. Then I could edit it to make her sound like she was being mean to a young, hopeful artist.
"Joan, I'm such a big fan. Do you have any tips for new singers like me?"
If she said something like "Just keep practicing" or "Work hard," I could make it sound sarcastic and mean.
"I've been trying to get a record deal for two years. Any suggestions?"
If she said "That's tough" or "Keep trying," I could twist it to sound like she didn't care about failing artists.
I practiced the questions until they sounded natural and innocent. By the time evening came, I was ready.
I arrived at the Harmony Hotel an hour early and put on my waitress outfit. The event coordinator barely looked at me as she explained my tasks. Serve drinks, clear tables, stay unseen.
If only she knew what I was really going to do.
The VIP area was set up in the main ballroom with fancy tables and dim lighting. Perfect for secretly recording videos without people knowing.
I hid my phone in my apron and made sure it was ready to record at any time. I had practiced starting the camera without looking, so Joan wouldn't notice what I was doing until it was too late.
Other waiters were setting up appetizers and arranging flowers. I pretended to help while really scouting the best places to corner Joan.
Then I saw her walk in.
Joan Robert looked even more beautiful in person than she did on TV. She wore a simple black dress and talked quietly with her boss. She looked tired, like something was bothering her.
Good. Tired people made mistakes. Tired people said things they didn't mean. Tired people were easy to manipulate.
I watched as Joan moved through the crowd, shaking hands and smiling for shots. She was playing her part perfectly - the sweet, popular singer everyone loved.
But I was about to show the world what she was really like underneath all that fake niceness.
I took a deep breath and walked toward her table, bringing a tray of drinks. My heart was pounding so hard I was sure everyone could hear it.
This was it. The moment that would change everything.
But just as I reached Joan's table, someone grabbed my arm.
"Excuse me, are you Tiana Reed?"
I turned around and saw a tall man in an expensive suit. He had cold gray eyes and a smile that made my skin crawl.
"Yes," I said carefully. "Who's asking?"
"My name is Marcus Bell. I'm a lawyer, and I represent some very important people in the music business."
My stomach dropped. Had someone figured out my plan? Was I in trouble already?
"I don't understand," I said, trying to keep my voice calm.
Marcus leaned closer and whispered in my ear: "I know what you're going to do to Joan Robert tonight. And I'm here to make you a much better deal."
My blood turned to ice. How could he possibly know about my plan?
"I have a proposal for you, Miss Reed. One that will make you more famous than you ever dreamed. But first, we need to talk quietly."
He grabbed my arm tighter and started leading me toward a side door. I looked back at Joan, who was still talking to her manager, totally unaware of what was happening.
"Wait," I whispered. "What kind of proposition?"
Marcus smiled that scary smile again. "The kind that will destroy Joan Robert completely. Your little plan tonight is nothing compared to what I have in mind."
As he pulled me through the door into a dark hallway, one scary thought hit me: I wasn't the only one who wanted to hurt Joan. And whoever this Marcus Bell guy was, his plan was much bigger and much more dangerous than mine.
I had thought I was the hunter tonight.
But maybe I was just another piece in someone else's game.
A game where Joan Robert wasn't the only goal.
Maybe I was too.