CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX - Tangled Threads

Lucas was quiet for a moment, thinking. "What if... what if we don't try to compete?" he suggested. "What if we embrace it somehow?" Ella pulled back to look at him, confused. "What do you mean?" "Well," Lucas said slowly, "our party was never meant to be a high-society event, right? It's supposed to be about community, about bringing people together. Maybe we can use that. Position our party as the alternative to the gala. The place where real people come to celebrate." Ella considered this. It was an interesting idea, but she wasn't sure if it would be enough. "I don't know," she said. "It still feels like we're going to lose out." Lucas squeezed her shoulders gently. "Sleep on it," he suggested. "Sometimes things look clearer in the morning." Ella nodded, too tired to argue. They ate dinner in companionable silence, Lucas seeming to sense that Ella needed some quiet time to think. As they got ready for bed, Ella's mind was still racing with possibilities. Should she try to mov