"Selina Wu," Kellie said, looking Sonny straight in the eye.
Sonny stood up and slammed the table in response and yelled, "Are you kidding me? You ungrateful…."
"Enough, Sonny," Jason's voice boomed, "Before you say something you can't take back."
"Jason, you know better than to interrupt like that. Did you…" Sonny started to say and then stopped himself, "Never mind for now."
Sonny turned his attention back to Selina.
"Congratulations," he said reluctantly, "I'm sure you'll understand if I don't stick around."
"Of course," Selina said, "Remember you are still expected to have a plan to resolve your business troubles by the next meeting."
Sonny ignored her and turned to leave.
"Jason," he yelled, indicating to Jason to follow him.
Jason caught Kellie's eye before he turned to follow Sonny out.
There was a moment of silence after Sonny left before Selina spoke.
"I appreciate the confidence and trust you have placed in me," Selina said, "I promise I will make it well worth your while."
"That's all we can ask for," Johnny Zacharra said, "Who knew Kellie here would be quite the wildcard? I know you and Sonny don't get along, but even I wasn't sure how you would vote. Stick with Sonny or to stick it him."
"I didn't vote against Sonny to stick it to him," Kellie said, "Petty games don't do me any good, not here. I voted for Selina because she's kept running things when Sonny hasn't. It's that simple. Sonny needs to focus on his own business if he wants to succeed at this point."
"I agree," Selina said, "I'm glad you can see that. With only four of us at the table, there's the potential to end up with a tie when it comes to making decisions. If Brick and Mr. Zacharra agree, I'd like to formally extend the invitation for you join us as the fifth family. I know you'll make decisions with a level head and not out of recklessness no matter how you feel about your father."
"The invitation is yours if you want it, Kellie," Brick said as Johnny Zacharra nodded his agreement.
"I'm very flattered," Kellie said, "But I didn't come here with the intention of doing anything beyond informing you about my new company."
"And trying to send a message," Johnny Zacharra said.
"I'm just trying to protect my kids," Kellie said, "They've already lost enough."
"And you can't rely on your father's protection like you once had," Selina said, "It seems to me that maybe accepting our invitation may help you with that."
"We all know it's not that simple," Kellie said.
"It is a big decision," Johnny Zacharra said, "And not one that you'd have to make right now. I say we give Kellie some time to decide."
"You really don't have to," Kellie said.
"Kellie, if some part of you weren't interested," Brick said, "You would have already just said no. Maybe thinking about it isn't a bad idea."
"A reasonable suggestion," Selina said, "Think it over until our next meeting and if you show up at that meeting or don't, then we'll have your answer, won't we."
Kellie looked away, glanced at Johnny O' Brien, and then said, "I really need to be going. I have other business to attend to."
"Of course," Selina said, "The offer stands until the next meeting. If there is any way in which we can be of assistance in making your decision, I'm more than happy to help."
Kellie nodded and started to leave.
"I'll walk you out," Johnny Zacharra said, following behind her.
"That's not necessary," Kellie said, as Johnny O' Brien and Francis blocked Johnny's path.
"Besides, you and I have some things to discuss," Selina said as Kellie continued to leave with Johnny O' Brien and Francis following behind her.
"I'll see you around, Kellie," Johnny said, deferring to Selina, "We should grab a drink and catch up one of these days."
"Zacharra," Kellie said, not even turning back to look at him, "Just remember this, you might be out of prison. But you are on parole, cross me, and I can make sure you end up back in Pentonville."
Pozullos
Jason caught up with Sonny at Pouzullos. While Jason had followed Sonny out of the meeting, Sonny had barked orders to meet there and left in his vehicle.
"What the hell just happened in there, Jason?" Sonny screamed when Jason walked in.
Jason shook his head, unsure what to even say.
"You mentioned Kellie might make her own moves," Sonny continued, "But this is unacceptable. Not only did my own daughter vote me out as head of the families, she apparently controls one of our biggest shipping partners. She's threatening to use it against us if we don't do what she wants."
"Can you blame her?" Jason replied, "What Kellie wants is to know that she's protected, especially after the kids being caught in the middle of a hit against her and Charles dying. As much as you don't want to hear this, Sonny, we're to blame."
"Kellie's always been impatient," Sonny said, "All she had to do sit back and let us handle things."
"Except we haven't been handling things and everyone knows it," Jason yelled, "What happened at the meeting today proves it."
"It proves nothing except that Selina Wu and Kellie betrayed me and sided with Zacharra," Sonny said, "He was never supposed to get out of prison which means someone wanted him out."
"And he'll owe them," Jason said, "However, Johnny does still have to prove himself and that may not be an issue right away. But it will if we don't get it together."
"How much did you know?" Sonny asked, "About Kellie's plans? Did you know shee bought the shipping company? Did you know she planned to show up at the meeting?"
"I suspected she might show up to the meeting as she has in the past when she wants to have a word with the families," Jason said, "But I had no idea she bought a company."
"How the hell could you not know your own wife bought a company?" Sonny asked.
"Kellie makes her own business decisions," Jason said, "None of us ever expected the other to consult on the other's investments. Our marriage started out with all that definitely being separate."
"To keep her out of all this," Sonny said, "So she could run the foundation…."
"Things changed," Jason said, "Like it or not, Sonny. You've got to get on board with that."
"What we need to do is have her sell the company," Sonny said.
"Let me stop you right there," Kellie said, having entered the restaurant unnoticed by Jason and Sonny, "That won't be happening."
"Do you have any idea what you have done?" Sonny replied, "What kind of trouble you've gotten yourself into."
"Same kind of trouble I've always been in," Kellie said.
"Don't get flip with me," Sonny replied.
"I'll get right to it," Kellie said, "Your head has not been in the game since you got your memory back after Nixon Falls. If you don't want to lose anymore than you already have, you probably should admit that and decide what you want to do about the situation."
"A situation which you've made worse by openly going against me," Sonny said.
"What I did was establish my own resources and agency apart from yours," Kellie said, "Give whoever has been coming after us incentive to at least stop coming after me."
"And backed Selina Wu," Sonny said, "Not the decision I'd expect someone to make whose been awfully concerned about so-called instability in my business."
"While Selina Wu and Johnny Zacharra are establishing themselves, Selina as the new head of the familes and Johnny over the Buscema," Kellie said, "Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe that might take some of the heat off you and the rest of us. Give you some breathing room to get your business in order. Or have you gotten careless? Do you think you're untouchable because you're the great Sonny Corinthos? Never mind that you spent a year with no idea who you were, all of us thinking you were dead."
"Of course, I care," Sonny said.
"Then act like it," Kellie said, "Quit sticking your head in the sand and pretending that you held whatever power you once did. If that means admitting that your head's not in the game or that you don't want this since you came back from Nixon Falls, then admit it. At least then you could make a solid plan going forward instead of hoping it will work itself out."
"You're out of line, Kellie," Sonny said, "Showing up here telling me how to run my business, showing up to a meeting you had no business being at."
"It became my business when a man I highly respected long before you and I ever met was killed in the crossfire" Kellie said, "When my kids could have been killed in the crossfire. I will not sit around and do nothing when it means my children's live are still at increased risk."
"So this is about revenge because you think I'm to blame for Charles's death," Sonny yelled, "He knew the risks when you and his son got married. Hell, he knew them long before that being a previously unknown and unacknowledged member of the Giambetti family."
"Oh, you share some of the blame," Kellie said, inching closer to Sonny, "Maybe I can't lay it all on you. Some of it belongs on me. I will do whatever I have to reduce the chances of this happening again. Even take the fifth seat at the table…"
"That's ridiculous you have to be invited to take that seat," Sonny said.
"I was after you left," Kellie said, "I have until the next meeting to decide."
"There's nothing to decide," Sonny said, "You're not taking it."
"Not your choice," Kellie said, "In the meantime, get your act together and figure out what you want. If it's not running the business own up to it. If you can't do that, then you just might start having some shipping problems."
"How dare you threaten me!" Sonny exploded, wiping everything on the nearest table off of it, causing Kellie to jump backwards.
At that point, Jason stepped between them.
"I think we should all go home and calm down," Jason said, "And come up with a plan for what happens next."
Kellie nodded, "I've said what I needed to say for now anyway. Think about what I said and I'll be in touch."
"There's nothing to think about," Sonny said, "We should really be concerned that Johnny Zacharra is out of prison. He was involved in some of his father and Claudia's schemes against our family, including Michael. Or have your forgotten that or about the little girl and her father killed when Zacharra recklessly shot at their car instead of his father's? He's a wild card and certainly can't be relied on."
"You have no need to concern yourself with Johnny Zacharra," Kellie said, "If he steps out of line, whoever got him out of prison will deal with him. He knows what's at stake."
"You're the one that got him a parole hearing," Sonny said, "Now he owes you."
Kellie shrugged.
"I'll see you whenever you get home, Jason," Kellie said, more like a question.
Jason nodded. Kellie kissed him before turning to leave.