Chapter214KateIsWarm


    AftereveryonefromHNStudiohadleft,thepeopleworkingtherelookedatKate,worried.Oneoftheassistantscouldn’thelpbueupandask,“Mr.Lowe,there’sabunchofrefundrequestspoppinguponline,likeoverthreehundred.Shouldwestarthandlingthem?”


    Katewasallcoboutit.“Yeah,let’sgetthoserefundsrolling.”


    Rightasshewasabouttoaddsomethingelse,herphonestartedringing.


    ShencedatitandsawthatitwasEralling.


    AsmilepoppeduponKate’sfaceasshequicklypickedup,“Hey,Eric-”


    Hearinghersoundsoupbeat,Ericseemedtorxabitandasked,“Needmetohelpoutwithsomething?”


    Afterthinkingitoverforasec,Kategotstraighttothepoint.“Actually,yeah.Myount’sbeenmessedwith.SomeonesneakedintomybackendandispretendingtobeWarm.”


    Gotit.


    Ericdidn’twasteanytime.Withfocusedeyes,hestartedfuriouslytypingaway,crackinghiswayintothebackendofthewebsitelikeitwasnothing.Hequickly gotintoWarm’sountanduppedthesecurity,takingovertheWarmountwithease.


    “ThatoldIPaddress?Stillcanbetracked.”


    Focusedonthescreen,Ericwaschiboutit.“TheIPforthatrecentpost?It’sfromsomefancyneighbourhoodupnorth.I’vegotsomeoneonitto<b>find</b>outwhoitis.”


    Katecouldn’thideherexcitement.“Yourock,Eric.”


    Nottoolongafter,HNStudio’sTwitterwasbuzzing withabunchofscreenshotposts.


    Fouryearsago,whenWarmfirstshowedofftheirdesignsketches,itturnedoutalltheonlineactivitywaingfromthisswankyareainthesouthofCapitalCity.


    Guesswhereitallled?Rightbacktoasinglehouse.Andwholivedthere?TheLowes.


    Butnow,outoftheblue,Warmdropsastatement,andguesswhat?Theonlinefootprintleadstothisfancypartoftowninthenorth.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Everyonewasleftspeechless.


    Itwasn’tjusttalk,either.Theysharedeverything,fromthefirstroughsketchtothepolishedfinal


    drafts.


    Andallofthispointedtohing:KateisactuallyWarm.


    Finished


    Chapter214KateisWarm


    Thehashtag“#KateisWarm#”quicklyshotuptothetopoftrendingsearches.


    Peoplewhohadaskedfortheirmoneybackwerekickingthemselves!HNStudiohadactuallyghroughwiththerefunds.Andwhentheytriedtobuyagain,theyweretoldeverythingwassoldoutandtheycouldn’tbuy itanymore.


    “Mr.Lowe,we’regettingloadsofmessagesaskingifwecanrestock!Eventhosewhowantedrefundsarenowhopingtobuyagain,reallykeentograbapiece,”saidtheassistant,barelyhidingasmile,astheyhandedKatethephone.


    They’dalljustbeenthroughanemotionalwhirlwind,watchingsalessoarandthenseeingoverthreehundredrefundrequestspourin!Now,theverysamecrowdwastryingtobacktrackonthoserefundsandsnatchuptheproductsagain.


    Katejustofferedasmall,politesmileandremindedhim,“LikeIsaidbefore,there’snorestockingafterarefund.We’restickingtothelimitedreleasething,andnorefundsforpersonalreasons,alright?”


    ShequicklymovedonfromthetopicandreachedouttoEric.


    “Eric,you’reamazing.Youknowthat?”Shehadn’texpectedErictoactsofast.


    Justfiveminutesaftertheirchat,hemanagedtochangethewholeonlineconversationforher.Erouldn’thelpbutletoutaquieugh.“Kate’sreallysomething,hidingawaylikethat.”


    HelookeddeeplyintothedesignsketchesKatehadmadefouryearsago,asoftsmileyingon


    hisface.


    HisKate.


    Rumoursaboutherhadbeenflyingaroundevenbackthen.


    Alegendaryfigureinthedesignworld.


    Fouryearsago,shehadtakentheintebystorm,postingmorethantenclothingdesignsonsomelittle–knownwebsite.Backthen,everyonewascuriousaboutthismysteriousWarm,tryingto figureoutwhoshewas,buttheynevermanagedto.Katehadalwaysbeengoodatkeepingherrealselfasecret.