In the fluorescent glow of Heinen's Reality Estate Company, a tense atmosphere enveloped the meeting room. The conference table, a pristine slab of polished wood, was surrounded by curious eyes eager for direction but, beneath the surface, flickers of doubt began to unfurl. Heinen stood at the head, his confident demeanor cloaked in a veneer of enthusiasm.
"I want to build a building to help a community," Heinen announced, his voice firm but inspiring. "For this to be a success, I need your cooperation in generating creative ideas."
Fabienne leaned forward, biting her lip in thought. "What kind of project are you thinking? Because I can only think about a resort or something." Her voice trailed off into uncertainty, the words heavy with the weight of her usual reticence.
"Come on, Fabienne, a better suggestion than your usual resort idea!" Heinen chimed, half-jokingly, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. The room grew silent; everyone seemed to be wrestling with their thoughts, unsure of the implications of Heinen's proposal.
Judith, a diligent employee in a wheelchair, raised her hand cautiously. "I'll agree on Fabienne's idea, but the location you're suggesting—there are many homeless people. You can't just force them to leave; they will see it in the media, and people may protest..."
Her rational observation was abruptly cut off by Dirk's sudden outburst. "NO, Judith! I don't want to hear any negativity related to this project. We can still move forward!" His voice sliced through the air, thick with frustration, as he slammed the projector remote down and snatched up his suitcase.
The room fell into a heavy silence, punctuated only by the sound of Dirk's footsteps retreating. Judith, feeling a swirl of emotions, began to maneuver her wheelchair toward the exit when Rafella, ever the supportive colleague, rushed to help her.
"Are we going home then?" Rafella asked, keeping her tone light despite the palpable tension.
Judith sighed, concern etching her face. "So, how were my children?" The worry seeped through her words, her thoughts drifting away from the awkward meeting, to the safety of her children.
"Judith, I want to remind you that I'm not a babysitter. I'm just protecting you, especially you." Rafella's voice softened, a mix of concern and responsibility.
"Because I can't walk..." Judith murmured bitterly, missing the days when she could stand tall and face the world without assistance.
"It's my job to protect you both," Rafella insisted, but there was an unspoken tension between them, an acknowledgment of the fragility in Judith's situation.
Meanwhile, far removed from the world of corporate meetings, chaos brewed in the local jailhouse. Jasmin sat on the cold metal bench of a dimly lit cell, locked away with two other women whose eyes glimmered with mischief. She paced back and forth, her thoughts consumed by Janina—a friend lost to the shadows of the city, and now, lost to her as well.
"Hey, you'll regret this!! I'm finding Janina because she was waiting for me!" Jasmin's voice echoed defiantly, the raw anger fueling her desperate energy.
One of the guards eyed her with disdain. "You should've thought about this before trying to steal anything," he barked before slamming the door shut, cutting off any glimmer of hope for her.
Jasmin turned to the women around her, annoyance flaring within her chest. "You're making me angry!!" she yelled, her patience fraying.
"Hey, stop shouting, you're so annoying," one of the prisoners countered, startling Jasmin even more. For a moment, time froze, and Jasmin could hear her heart pounding in her ears—she had to assert herself.
"I can't believe you left me stuck here!" she shouted back, bristling with a mix of frustration and fear.
"I said shut up and be quiet!" the other woman sneered, taking a step closer, the pull of intimidation in her voice.
But Jasmin was ready. With a swift movement, she unleashed a kick to one woman's knee, followed quickly by a punch to her face. "Don't try to mess with me—you never know what I'm capable of," she retorted, wearing a fierce grin that seemed to strike fear even into the hearts of hardened criminals. Laughter from the other prisoners puzzled her, but she embraced the chaos, fueled by protectiveness for Janina.
The realization seeped in: the world may be closing in around her, but she was destined to break free for the ones she loved. Jasmin readied herself for whatever would come next, refusing to be anything less than a warrior in a battlefield of uncertainty—a mirror of Judith's struggles but in a different realm of conflict.
Back at Heinen's company, the sketches of potential projects remained untouched, and the meeting bore a weight that would linger, but it was Jasmin who was breaking through the confines of her cage, fighting for a freedom that meant more than mere walls could contain. In these parallel narratives, struggle intertwined like vines, binding them all in a shared pursuit of hope—hope for sanctuary, hope for healing, and hope for community.
Walter sat on the old, worn sofa, a distant look in his eyes that spoke volumes about his troubled mind. He fiddled with the hem of his shirt, tapping his foot restlessly against the floor. He had been waiting for Jasmin for what felt like ages, his heart heavy with the weight of unspoken words and worries. Fabienne entered just as the clock struck seven, and instantly, she felt the room's atmosphere change.
"Don't just expect Jasmin to come early," she said lightly, hoping to lift the tension that hung in the air.
Walter's gaze snapped to her, his frustration bubbling over. "Why? She was supposed to come early and stay here instead, taking care of Sidel."
Fabienne frowned, crossing her arms. "But she told me you can't treat her like you're babysitting her."
"Look," he replied, his voice rising, "she isn't even unstable, but she needs a lot of medications and treatments to make her feel better. She's been so delusional these days..." Walter's voice trailed off, choked by the implications of his own words. Just then, his phone rang, the shrill tone cutting through the silence like ice. He glanced at the screen, tension tightening his jaw. It was the police.
While Walter stepped away to take the call, Fabienne sank into the sofa, deliberately choosing to occupy herself with the newspaper sprawled on the small brown table. Instantly, her fingers froze over the page, her breath catching in her throat. The headline struck her like a fist: "Local Artist Found Dead by Suicide." Underneath, a familiar name haunted her thoughts: Janina. It had been three days since the tragedy. How had no one said anything?
Walter returned, his expression stern but now clouded with confusion as he noticed Fabienne's stricken face. She quickly held up the newspaper, her voice trembling. "You need to tell Jasmin about this. She always thinks Janina is there with her."
"Seriously! Do you think that's easy to do?" Walter shot back, his frustration mounting again. The last thing he desired was to break Jasmin's already fragile world with yet another harsh truth, another loss.
Just then, Sidel, their precocious seventeen-year-old, appeared in the doorway. Her large, innocent eyes bounced between his mother and Walter. "You couldn't lie for too long, Mom should know," she declared matter-of-factly, as if he were stating the weather report.
Fabienne and Walter exchanged a glance, caught in a silent understanding. She didn't want to shield Jasmin from the truth—her friend deserved to know. But Walter's instinct was to protect her from the harshness of reality.
"Do we really want to hurt her more?" Walter whispered, his voice cracking with the weight of responsibility.
Fabienne's heart ached at the sight of him, torn between fierce love and the immovable wall of denial. "If we don't tell her, it will hurt more when she finds out the truth on her own. Janina was a part of her life."
For a moment, the room fell into a heavy silence, where the stakes of their choices loomed large like ghosts in the dim light. Walter rubbed the back of his neck, conflict warring behind his dark eyes.
"I'll talk to her," he finally said, resignation washing over him. "But not now... we need to give her some time first."
Fabienne nodded slowly, the weight of their reality settling like a stone in her stomach. They both felt Sidel's gaze lingering, the child's innocent assertion hanging in the air. The decisions they made today would ripple through their lives in ways they couldn't yet understand. And as night began to fall, dimming the little light left in the room, they braced themselves for the inevitable confrontation with truth and loss that awaited them.
Jasmin's gaze lingered on the retreating figure of Janina, her heart sinking with each step the other girl took. Janina's shoulders were slumped, and she bore evidence of a struggle—or perhaps a defeat. Jasmin opened her mouth to call out, but Alody's voice broke through her thoughts.
"What are you looking at?" she asked, his eyes narrowing in mild curiosity.
"Don't you see Janina there? She's right there!" Jasmin pointed emphatically, her finger jabbing toward the direction of Janina's departure. But Alody merely turned his head slightly, confusion etching his brow.
"It's nothing. I don't see anything. I think you just missed her so much," she replied, his tone dismissive, as if Janina's pain were mere figments of Jasmin's imagination.
Jasmin felt a surge of frustration. "I can feel that she's hurt! She's walking away!" The urgency in her voice fell flat against Alody's indifference.
"No, she wasn't. I think you just worry too much," she shot back, her gaze now fixed on the sky, an attempt to disregard what was so painfully clear to Jasmin.
Just then, Walter arrived—his presence immediate and heavy. Alody's demeanor shifted, and Jasmin caught a glimpse of disappointment flash across his features. For her, time slowed. She knew Walter would only see the distance between her and Alody, not the invisible threads binding her to Janina.
Jasmin felt caught in a web of unanswered concerns, torn between the girl who was slipping away and the boy who could hardly see the depth of her worry. The moment was fraught with tension, an unspoken question hanging in the air: Who would reach out first?
Jasmin's heart raced, disbelief clouding her mind. Walter's words echoed like thunder: "Janina is dead." She could still see Janina, vibrant and teasing, brushing her hair back and laughing as they planned their next school project.
"What do you mean she's dead?" Jasmin's voice trembled, a mix of anger and devastation. "I just saw her!"
"She's gone, Jasmin," Walter insisted, his tone firm. "You need to face the truth."
Jasmin looked from Walter to Alody, whose face was a mask of shock. The camaraderie they shared felt treacherous now, a betrayal wrapped in sympathy. "You're both lying! She was right there!"
Anger flared up inside her, a volcano ready to erupt. "You don't know anything! You just want to control me. You're better off worrying about Sidel!"
"Sidel needs help, yes," Walter replied, his frustration boiling over. "But that doesn't mean you can ignore what's happening around you. Janina's not walking away. She's gone for good."
Jasmin's breath hitched. Images of their last moments together flooded her mind—Janina's teasing smile, the way she had promised they'd figure everything out together.
"No... it's impossible." A sudden wave of grief washed over her, leaving her weak and trembling.
"Stop being delusional," Walter said softly, now stepping closer. "Let me help you."
But Jasmin couldn't listen. She turned, stumbling toward the exit, desperate to escape. Behind her, Alody stood speechless, torn by the realization that the vibrant spirit of their friendship had flickered out without warning. As Jasmin left, a sense of solitude enveloped her—a world once bright and shared now steeped in a sorrow too deep to fathom.
Judith lay under a thick blanket, her mind heavy with thoughts of the day's anxieties. Just as she started to close her eyes, a gentle knock at the door startled her. Rafella slipped in, her presence both comforting and intrusive.
"The children are already asleep. Tomorrow, I'll take them to school, and I'm coming with you," Rafella announced, crossing her arms defiantly.
Judith blinked in disbelief. "It's better for you to watch over them. I want to ensure they get home safely."
"Here we go again, Judith. I'm your bodyguard, not a babysitter," Rafella countered, exasperation creeping into her tone.
"I know," Judith sighed, pulling the blanket closer. "But I wanted to tell you—I'm doing well working with Dirk. He's strict, but that's work."
Meanwhile, across town, Dirk exchanged a sweet kiss with Sonja as she entered their home.
"I can assure you that my project will be successful, but how are you, my dear?" Sonja asked, her voice like honey.
"I'm good. I've been thinking of taking a leap; my father wants to be chairman soon. I intend to run for mayor," Dirk replied, a confident gleam in his eyes.
Sonja's smile widened. "You want me to support you? Of course, I will."
"And I want you to be CEO of this company starting tomorrow," he added, excitement crackling in the air.
joy lit Sonja's face. "That's wonderful! Soon, our son will manage it—if this little girl ever arrives," she teased, a playful twinkle in her eye.
The promise of their future shimmered between them, a stark contrast to Judith and Rafella's own heartfelt struggles. As Judith settled into her blanket once more, she could only hope that one day, she would find such peace.
At midnight, Jasmin was finally got home with the help of Walter and she feels pissed off and kicks the vase, stomp with it like crazy.
"Stop that, Jasmin!" Walter stops her and he also gets angry to her behavior.
"What do you expect me to do? To celebrate now? I'm gonna woohoo-yehay, party!"
"Just stop, please help yourself...your making Sidel worried, me too, you should think about it."
She suddenly reacts. "Ah, so it's my fault now? You're always telling me this because your always do right and I'm wrong!"
As Jasmin runs away to her room but she almost slipped when she realized the floor was wet and get annoyed again.
"Another wet floor, just like much of my worst nightmare!"
In her room, she opens her cabinet quickly and saw her picture with Janina realizes how she misses her much terribly.
"I don't allow myself not to see you." She talked to herself looking to their picture, before leaving.
She decided to leave but Walter was in disbelief to her actions and couldn't stop her again, she went to Janina's apartment and sees the windows open, all her things messy and the camera is in the table in front of the window.
"Janina, I shouldn't leave behind. I saw you there I swear..."
I know...
Jasmin was shocked because she hears her voice. She didn't hesitate to use the camera to watch anything useful that are related to her friend, she finds a latest video of her crying looks brutally injured and bruised.
"Jasmin, I'm sorry that I can't be strong just like you...I know you always told me that being a bodyguard is a greatest job that we could have. But I couldn't handle with someone who can torture me forever."
She looked shock and speechless while watching the video, Janine drop herself in the window and the video was cut to it. She tries not to be emotional but angry who are behind it.
"You don't deserve this, I told you before that we should tell each other's feelings when we feel there's something wrong."
She remembers that she was working for Dirk as a bodyguard and wants to make a payback to her.
"I know what to do." she talk to herself now trying to be as Janina.
Jasmin cut her hair medium to be like her best friend and planning to make a revenge for her by starting working as a bodyguard seeing the website in Bodyguard.net
Janina's profile was been there and saw that she was inactive there working with Dirk for almost 2 years. She used Janina's account and applying to become bodyguard again for Dirk.
She was planning to use Janina's clothes but a photo fell in her foot and saw the description in the back of the photo of "Janina and Martin" but she has no idea who was that man was.
Jasmin saw a useful item that it was Janina's phone she took it and look for her previous contact, there's a recent number so she called it.
"Who is this?"
She heard a man's voice and she thinks it's Dirk.
"It's me, I'm back."
"Are you kidding me? Janina is dead. Female bodyguards as useless as always."
"I'm not, I just got an accident, newspaper create lies, my twin sister died 3 days ago, because of his client, at the bar."
(Man laughs)
As Jasmin was annoyed to him hearing laughing, she realize that she should feel excited for seeing them personally.
"Come on, not to mention I want to make a reunion for your family. To know them now, I miss you already. We should make out in bed right now, Dirk."
Dirk was drinking whisky in his living room while observing to his window, if someone stalks him, that he doesn't believe that Janina would come back.
"You are such a fake person, if you want money I can give you that already. And i report you about me, I can burn you for real."
"Oh, is that your showing yourself that you're a coward man. Look at me, you beat me up but I don't report you. I thought I saw toughness in you. But your such a chicken, man."
*Phone hang-up
Jasmin laughs that she feels the man was offended and her plan worked for her best friend. Dirk seems pissed off and Wilfred notice him.
"What's the matter now?" Wilfred asks out of his curiosity.
"Someone was telling me that Janina was alive." Dirk feels angry and he saw that he laughs at him.
"Don't get too get distracted by that and start focusing on your career now. Remember that girl is too pathetic right."
"I know very pathetic, now claiming that she's alive."
"What?" Wilfred reacts and they suddenly both laugh together.
Suddenly Dirk's phone rings and got a message by Janina's number.
When I say I mean it, I say I mean it.
Walter came at Jasmin's room but he notice quickly that Jasmin wasn't there but her things are messy.
"Don't tell me she went elsewhere again." Walter said disappointingly not expecting it from Jasmin.
Sidel heard him so she came to him. "What do you expect to mom? We shouldn't let her feel alone. I know she feels bad about her friend."
"Me too, but I'm too disappointed from what she did with her friend was not good. But for now we have to watch her actions, I can feel she was planning something stupid again."
She realize that Walter has a point but they couldn't think any plan.
"So, what are you planning to do? Do you think letting her stay at home while doing her unusual activities was such a good idea?"
"What do you expect me to do, Sidel? I don't know."
"I know that she would really focus to her best friend right now and she's still the same."
Sidel walks out when she was tries to ignore her emotions and went to bed immediately. Walter called Fabienne to request her something.
"Do me a simple favor?"
"How simple is that? Don't tell me is about how you will convince Jasmin to stay at home totally, why don't you just take care of her and less complain."
"I'm serious now Fabi, find where she is and tell she needs to go home now."
"Why not calling Jasmin instead? You like making yourself difficult."
He sighs afterwards. "It's not that easy, you know she can do something stupid.
Jasmin was staring at the wall, after draw some unusual shapes, seeing Janina herself that who is also listening to her.
"Supposedly, you were there with Alody that we work together as a team. As usual your busy working with that client who is going to pay for what they did to you."
As Jasmin closes her eyes, she remembers when she falls out into the ring, when she was practicing boxing with Janina.
"Do you see that I always almost beat you up!" Jasmin breathes deeply and Janina helps her to stand up.
"You see, I told you that I'm always full trained before I become an official bodyguard."
"That's why I wanted to be a bodyguard."
Janina reacts unexpectedly. "What? I thought you wanted to be a professional wrestler instead?"
"Then, I can be both! That's not even the problem either."
"I believe in you that girls can be brave in whatever they gone through."
Jasmin stares and laughs when she feels that Janina is a bit dramatic than usual.
"Okay you will assume I'm going to be even more dramatic but seriously, it's okay for me to lose everything but I don't want to lose my best friend, you are important to my life."
"Remember that while working, okay."
"How should I forget Jasmin? You are always number one for me than anything else..."
Jasmin stoped draw the number one in numeral then open her eyes, seems that she's alone again.
"Come on, if I were you...you have to go home now and leave." Fabienne said and Jasmin was shock to heard a different voice realizing it was her.
"I couldn't believe you're going to stalk me now."
"No, but please don't act such a baby and to take you home all the time, Jasmin."
"Then don't act like my nanny to me!"
Jasmin is annoyed to her and she stood up to come closer to her.
"I have many plans to do while you can do whatever you want, bodyguard duties or gonna date with Walter, do it."
"Jasmin, please...I'm not even kidding here, I so tired of what Walter always request to me many times, please it's for the good. Consider your mental health and stop being desperate living in Janina's house."
Fabienne was planning to leave but Jasmin stops her when she wants to tell her one thing in mind.
"Walter should know that I'm not a kid and he should know that he never know about some friendship than me. You should learn that from me."
Jasmin pointed her finger to her chest and walkout as she closes the door, Fabienne couldn't do anything but she doesn't mind telling Walter and walk away.
Early morning, Jasmin wakes up hugging and kissing Janina's pillow realizing she was alone again, she feels terrible to herself when she holds her hair and knowing it was ruined that she doesn't look like Janina anymore.
"Why you're always leaving me with having a bad hair day, ugh..." Jasmin gets immediately annoyed with her hair and decided to get shower.
In hot shower, she feels way too relax while standing in the mirror which she saw Janina comes back and she gets shocked she thinks that she will be seen nude.
"Hey, you can show up later...also I wanted to use your clothes since you're just invisible to me, they can't see you to anyone...so but expect for your underwear and bra, I should be like you..."
You shouldn't...
She's amaze that Janina responded to her and finally she got a confident in herself to get prepared to get her plan started. She wears Janina's clothes and a black tie to make a good look.
Then she remember something from her.
"Jasmin, you should always give payback for me. I can handle myself."
She smirks sarcastically. "Best friends don't work that way until death, you remember your corny phrase since childhood."
"Ugh...but seriously we're grown ups now, we have different future and soon we can couldn't always communicate each other so... there's that."
"But there's always a way to to do that, we always love to promise to each other."
She make a fist bump to her chest to make a promise from Janina from now own, she is supposedly leaving ahead but get bumped by Alody by accident and Jasmin reacts when she got hurt from heat she feels from what Alody what brought to her.
"Come on now, you're going to do a cleaning service then, huh."
"No, actually I'm here to think about you...we can have breakfast while I'm decided that we should eat first, I made some freshly baked pineapple apple."
Jasmin reacts. "What? Who does says I love pineapple? Anyway I'm not here to celebrate my release or what!"
"It's not about that Jasmin, it's my offer as of you helped many times even though we do it in bad way. We realize now that we should steal anymore. Because of that we should go home so we can eat this breakfast."
"I don't need to eat anything, I have something important work to do. That I can handle myself."
Alody was worried and thought that Jasmin was doing another dangerous job that she doesn't like.
"Oh please, don't even tell me that you finding another job...please stop Jasmin, you can have decent one from cleaning or something."
"Don't treated me like what Walter used to tell me, I can even handle myself, he always assume that I'm so helpless and useless in this times, but he's completely wrong!"
"I know you're not but he wants to protect you, now that Janina's gone, I guess we have to---"
"NO!"
Jasmin suddenly throw her pie nowhere when she got angry to her.
"Do you think I could just forget the fact that Janina's wasn't here and you expect me to eat and celebrate! You have no idea how much she cares and loves me!"
"I understand but you have to accept that Janina is dead, all of her things must be out in this place."
Jasmin not to cry and she tried to be strong so she took Janina's important thing in the bag with clothes and leave.
Walter feels happy while eating breakfast and he notice that Alody comes back unhappy.
"What's wrong now?" Walter asks with his curiously.
"Same usual, same thing. I think I'm going to ask you that either."
"For now I got a job from the wonderful company and you have completely to see this, this is one of the best company."
He shows the picture of Heinen company which Alody suddenly couldn't believe it.
"Wow that's nice, I know that he's one of the best CEO in the world."
"Yeah, now I'm starting working as Secretary. So awesome."
Walter quickly finished eating to get to work early, when he went inside the Heinen company, he feels the ambience, excitement, seeing new people around him.
The meeting room is full of employees that he feels all friendly, he sits next to Judith with her bodyguard Rafella.
Rafella seems to look at Walter that she gets flatter by his charm and poked Judith.
"We're so lucky to have this guy in this company now, this is even better for you." Rafella whispered and Judith annoyed at her.
"Come on, you think I'm into that."
"Alright then, but not bad for this looks for me."
The meeting was almost started but Fabienne just came and Walter was shock in coincidence that he wasn't aware that she already know this place.
"Really? You didn't even tell me you work here?" Walter reacts and Fabienne shook her head.
"For being a bodyguard, not an employee. Dirk needs special treatment."
"You should call him boss, right."
"Well sometimes, Janina used to work for him and I know he might find another one, to seduce with another woman."
He just realize the behind story about Janina and he felt bad about her.