Thinking more about the "default partners" thing:
On the one hand, I certainly feel that romanceable characters should be allowed their own lives and agency outside of their interactions with the MC, and this can include having their own romantic interactions with other characters if they're not being romanced by the MC.
On the other hand, this is what it feels like the Tommy/Ellis relationship already is, and it would feel very weird if they both just ended up dating other people at the end despite having a far more compelling relationship with each other.
On the... third(?) hand, people paying you large sums of money to help you fund the game is definitely a good thing, so I don't want to say you shouldn't do it... 😅
So, I guess I can see arguments both ways. 🤷♂️