The shy waitress greeted the billionaire’s deaf mother – her sign language shocked everyone

“Dear Ms. Méndez,” the email began, written with a legal precision that made every word sound like a veiled threat. “We have been observing with interest the recent hiring at Castellanos Tech, particularly that of Mr. Daniel Méndez. We would like to discuss an opportunity that could significantly benefit both you and Mr. Méndez.”

Laura felt her stomach churn as she continued reading. The offer was astonishing. Triple Daniel’s current salary, a benefits package that included full relocation, and what they called a signing bonus that exceeded anything Laura had imagined possible.

But the part that really made her queasy came at the end. We understand that you were instrumental in developing the inclusion program at Spanish Tech. We’d also like to discuss how your expertise could benefit Tech Vision. Naturally, this would include adequate compensation for both Méndez brothers, as well as assurances that certain information about current projects at Spanish Tech would be considered part of your transferable experience.

They didn’t say it explicitly, but the message was clear. They wanted to buy Daniel out and bring him the company’s secrets. Laura closed her computer with trembling hands, her mind racing. This wasn’t just a job offer; it was a calculated attack, designed to destabilize everything they had built over the past few months.

If Daniel left, especially under these circumstances, all of Marcos Reyes’s accusations about the inclusion program would be validated, which were nothing more than a superficial PR stunt. Worse still, if the offer was rejected and it became public, other competitors would view Spanish Tech’s deaf employees as easy targets, vulnerable to poaching because the company didn’t value them enough.

She needed to find Daniel. Now, she found him in his office, surrounded by three monitors displaying lines of code that looked like hieroglyphics to Laura. When she tapped his shoulder to get his attention, he turned with a smile that immediately faded when she saw his expression.

“What happened, sir?” Laura closed the office door before answering. “You received an email from Tech Vision.” Daniel’s expression changed, and Laura knew immediately that was the answer. He signed with slow, contradictory movements. “I haven’t opened it yet this morning. I was waiting to talk to you first. I did.” Laura signed and proceeded to tell him the entire contents.

She watched her brother’s face shift through a range of emotions: surprise, temptation, and finally, something that resembled indignation. “They want me to steal information?” Daniel gestured angrily at her sudden movements. “They’re not even being subtle. The money is real.” Laura gestured back. “Daniel, this offer. You could buy a house. You could finally have real financial security.”

Daniel stared at her for a long moment, and Laura saw something in his eyes that made her feel ashamed to even mention money. “Do you think I care more about money than my integrity?” Before Laura could respond, the office door opened without knocking.

Sebastian was there, his expression showing he had also been briefed on the situation, but he wasn’t alone. Behind him stood a woman Laura didn’t recognize, elegantly dressed, holding a glaring briefcase. Corporate lawyer. Daniel, Laura. Sebastian signed as he spoke, a skill he now performed with remarkable fluency.

This is Veronica Salazar, our senior legal counsel. We need to talk about Tech Vision. They met in the main conference room, a glass and steel space typically used for high-level presentations. Veronica spread documents across the table with practiced precision.

Techion has made similar offers to three of our key employees in the last 24 hours. He explained in a professional but concerned tone. They’re all part of the inclusion program. Two deaf employees, in addition to Mr. Méndez, and one employee in a wheelchair.

Laura felt the blood drain from her face. “They’re specifically targeting the program. Exactly, Veronica,” he confirmed. “And the offers are structured so that if we publicly reject them, it will appear as if we’re retaining employees with disabilities against their best financial interests. If they accept and leave, especially if there’s any indication that they stole confidential information, it destroys the credibility of the entire inclusion program.” Sebastian fell strangely quiet, his hands clenched into fists on his chest.

table. He finally spoke, gesturing simultaneously. “It’s my fault. I made such a fuss about our inclusion program, about how we were finding talent that others were overlooking. I practically painted goals on the backs of every employee we hired.” “No,” Daniel gestured firmly. “It’s not your fault.”

They’re kinetic people who see an opportunity to sabotage something good. Diego ran to the conference room, clearly having been summoned. “I just spoke with industry contacts. Tech Vision is planning a press release for tomorrow about its new diversity initiative.”

They’re about to announce that they’ve rescued talented employees with disabilities from companies that were tokenizing them. The word “tokenizing” dropped like a bombshell in the room. It was precisely the accusation that would destroy everything they’d built, reducing months of genuine work and real transformation to a cynical PR stunt.