Nothing. No response at all. Silence as the couple looked back at her. Something was happening around her. Something was wrong! Katie's instincts suddenly kicked up and her eyes flicked to Dan then back to Penny as the silence stretched, her eyes widening a little more, her lips pressing together and in her lap, her hands clenched on themselves, her knuckles whitening a bit. Then that smile. A pleasant, warm smile from Penny before the woman reached for the phone.<br/><br/>Once more, big, blue eyes flicked from the woman to her husband. As Penny spoke, though, Katie looked back and visibly paled. Her stomach flipped and her heart thundered. She couldn't make her throat work. Her lips parted then closed again as colour returned to her cheeks, flushing them in a hot blush. They knew. There was nothing more to it. Humiliation at having thought herself so bold washed over her, making even her ears burn. They had known when she'd knocked on the door and let her walk in and spout another layer of lies. Oh, God... it was brutal.<br/><br/><em>Stephen... Frank... That's security and Detective Arnold! Oh God! Oh God!</em><br/><br/>The names clanged like a large bell in her mind as panic set in for a moment. The police. The sound of the phone hanging up brought her eyes back to Penelope's as the woman laid her hands down and looked back at her.<br/><br/><em>Don't say anything... Don't say anything!</em><br/><br/>Katie was trying to keep her reactions under control. If she started protesting or pleading she might incriminate herself further. Penny spoke instead, laying out the crumbs of the details of the behind the scenes investigation into her activities. Katie was almost panting by the time the statuesque beauty was leaning back on the desk looking down at her where she sat, the guilt and fear practically pouring from her pores. Her lips parted again at the question but she was luckily spared some additional humiliation from anything she might stupidly say by Penny continuing.<br/><br/>How had she been so stupid? She'd obviously been a pawn in some larger game. Expendable and left to fall on the swords held ready for her. That was why her contact had backed away. That was why her life was falling apart. Everything was going to be taken from her because she'd been greedy and stupid.<em>Fuck!</em><br/><br/><em>"We plan to make quite the example of you Miss O’Rourke."</em><br/><br/><em>Oh God, my mom will lose it and dad... oh shit, dad will be devastated.</em><br/><br/>Katie stayed in her head for a couple of blinks, processing all of it. Considering everything she might say. Sorting her words and trying to come up with something she could do or say that would fix it all. There was nothing. She was going to go to prison. What she'd done was a serious crime but she had been so confident, she'd never fully considered what would happen if she had been caught. The trembling began in her lips as she tried to find her voice again. Panic was not something Katie was used to feeling. She'd never really been caught at something before, especially something this serious.<br/><br/>"Mrs, Harper-Dasse...." Katie's voice was more of a squeak at this point. Luckily Penny spoke again, the papers in her hand were currently ignored by Katie as she'd been thoroughly absorbed in her predicament. Her eyes flicked again to Dan, guilt thick over her face before she looked back at the woman, her mouth dropping open. A chance was being presented. Something Katie had assumed was impossible. A different job within the company. Would they really let her keep working for them? It was too good to be true. Katie wasn't completely fooled by the idea either. She was assuming they would have her turn on the people she'd been working for, put herself at risk doing it, too. Would it be worth avoiding jail time and the shame she would be shrouded in for the rest of her life? Then it got even better.<br/><br/>Katie narrowed her eyes a little as she reached out and took the contract. She could work for them still, rat on the other people and get immunity out of it? Katie was a hard worker when motivated. Very hard worker. She could handle extra hours and less pay if it kept her out of jail. Ten minutes to decide. Ten minutes to change her life. There was no time to talk or even apologize and frankly, she could barely look at Dan anymore. Katie began to read.<br/><br/>Sadly, the shocks started pretty quickly and just froze her brain for a moment. Katie blinked and started over. Was it a joke? Was it a final way to mock her before Frank took her away to wait for the cops. No, this was real. The language. The detail. It dawned on Katie that Penelope must have found something else out about her in the investigation. Her cheeks burned brighter than ever as she realised they would know how a contract like this might affect her physically.<br/><br/>The first thing that came to mind for Katie was that they wanted her. She quickly dismissed that as a whole truth. Sure, there had to be something attractive about her or they probably wouldn't be considering her at all. She had to move on, there was no time for analysis! The language of the contract was like nothing she'd seen before in a legal document. It was in some ways very dirty yet at the same time quite professional in its terms and conditions. She would be looked after and even have her own place yet she would not be free. For an entire year she would be enslaved to the couple. Her body would not be her own. It was very intense and yet there was no chance to consider it. But really, what was there to think about?<br/><br/>Immersed into BDSM in a way she never dreamed or jail. It wasn't a difficult choice. Still, it seemed so unfair that she be forced to make this decision under such pressure. Katie uncrossed her legs only to recross them the other way again as she tried to read it more thoroughly.<em>Pet...</em>It was so hard not to just get wildly excited and hopeful. But how long had it been now? Penny had packed up her things already. Katie tried to focus her mind but she found herself bombarded with images of bondage and sex and hours of pleasure. Pain and physical torment. Humiliation and teasing. She swallowed hard, one of her hands flicking the bottom corners of the pages nervously. There was no time for questions and she had many. Like, how soon after she agreed would it begin? Was the first and foremost on her mind. Katie opened her mouth, drew a breath and was cut off as knocking came at the office door.<br/><br/>She stood up as if jolted by a powerful shock and looked at the door then the contract, then to Dan and Penny.<br/><br/>"I-I'll do it. I agree. Yes." She stammer quickly, looking desperately nervous that it was all going to be snatched away from her at the last second. "Please, I'll sign." She tacked on.