More Than I Knew

More Than I Knew

Noa Blake · Ongoing · 240.3k Words

1.1k
Hot
21.9k
Views
2.6k
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

When Amelia Pierce finally admits her marriage is a gilded cage, one shattered glass and a chilling vow—I’ll never divorce you—send her straight into the orbit of Bryson Hearst: her new boss, her oldest secret, and the man who quietly bought a ring for her six years ago and locked it in his safe.

In a world of penthouse boardrooms and whispered scandal, Bryson is the kind of dangerous that feels like safety. He moves her into protection, runs her a jasmine-scented bath instead of crossing a line, and promises to destroy her husband in the daylight and worship her in the dark. But Amelia’s freedom has a price: West Coast deals that turn volatile, an ex-assistant with receipts and a grudge, and a powerful family that believes Pierce women never leave.

As a covert investigation exposes more than a cover-up, and a storage unit full of sins, Amelia signs away every claim to her husband’s fortune—she doesn’t want his money, only her life back. The clock is ticking: four weeks to a court date, four weeks of stolen mornings and velvet-box confessions, four weeks for a man who has loved her from afar to prove he can love her up close without touching her until she’s free.

Lush, addictive, and breathless with restraint, More Than I Knew is a high-heat, high-stakes contemporary romance where consent is the sexiest power move, protection reads like possession, and a woman chooses herself—then the man who’s been choosing her all along.

Chapter 1

Amelia Pierce hadn’t planned on stepping foot in Bryson Hearst’s office that day.

It wasn’t on her schedule.

It wasn’t even in her mental orbit.

Her day was supposed to be simple: finalize the last details for the Bellamy Grand charity gala, send out donor confirmations, and maybe—just maybe—get through one morning without Carl criticizing something about her.

But instead, he’d looked up from his phone at breakfast, barely, and said,

“Meet me at my office at noon. We’ll grab something quick between meetings.”

Lunch.

Together.

They hadn’t had lunch together in years.

When she came downstairs an hour later, Carl was already in the kitchen, standing by the counter in a blue suit that never suited him and a red tie she wished she could outlaw. The October sunlight streaming in made the clash of colors worse, but he didn’t notice. He was too busy scrolling his phone.

He didn’t even look up when she entered.

Amelia set her handbag down, then moved to the counter to make herself tea. Chamomile. Warm. Calm. A small ritual that felt like breathing room.

“We got another donation for the art program this morning,” she said, checking her tablet. “That puts us closer to—”

“Good for you,” Carl cut in.

She bit down a sigh and buttered a slice of toast, then set the slow cooker on the counter. Beef, potatoes, carrots, onions — her hands moved automatically. She added broth, snapped on the lid, and reached for her tea.

Carl finally lifted his gaze.

Not to her face.

To her outfit.

“That what you’re wearing today?”

Amelia blinked and looked down at herself. A cream blouse tucked into a charcoal skirt with a modest hemline. Simple, professional, undeniably appropriate.

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” she asked.

Carl’s expression tightened. “Just make sure you show up looking appropriate. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Amelia raised a brow and snapped her fingers twice.

“Oh, you jazzy today, huh?”

He frowned, confused.

She leaned back against the counter and let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “In all seriousness, Carl… I said what I said. There’s nothing wrong with my outfit.”

His jaw ticked. “I said what I said.”

She sipped her tea, calm as a light breeze — which irritated him more.

“I’m heading out,” he muttered, snatching his keys. “We’re riding separately. Ben will drive you. He works for us now.”

She didn’t respond.

The door to the garage slammed behind him.

Amelia stood perfectly still for three seconds. Then exhaled, long and slow, like she’d been holding her breath all morning.

Carl had always been controlling in little ways — commenting on her hair, her clothes, her body (even claiming her breasts were “on display” in a damn turtleneck), side-eyeing her conversations with her best friend, and making remarks about how much she ate despite her being a healthy, toned 140 pounds with curves in all the right places.

But lately?

He’d been trying to control everything.

And if he wanted to start with her outfit this morning?

Fine.

She walked upstairs with purpose.

Amelia opened her closet and reached for something she rarely let Carl see. Not because she couldn’t wear it — she could wear whatever she damn well pleased — but because she’d grown tired of the fights. Today wasn’t a fighting day. Today was a making-a-point day.

She pulled out a black fitted one-piece jumpsuit.

Long sleeves.

A cinched waist.

Smooth, sculpted lines hugging her frame.

At the ankles, neat little bows tied the tapered legs into something feminine and devastatingly chic.

She stepped into it, smoothing the fabric over her hips. It felt like confidence woven into clothing.

Then she selected the shoes.

Her black Christian Louboutin Lady Z 120mm heels — glossy patent leather, wickedly high, red soles sharp enough to count as a weapon. They gave her height, posture, power.

Next came the perfect finishing layer: a nude waist-length coat, soft camel in tone, structured at the shoulders and open in the front. The hem hit high on her thighs, framing the sleek black jumpsuit and highlighting the strength of her silhouette.

Jewelry was simple and intentional.

Yellow gold hoops that caught the light.

A thin gold chain that skimmed her collarbone.

A delicate bracelet around her wrist.

Minimal, elegant, impossible to overlook.

She looked at her reflection and felt a slow, confident smile pull at her lips.

This was her.

Unafraid.

Unshrinking.

Unapologetic.

If Carl wanted to start micromanaging her this morning…

She’d give him something worth micromanaging.

Downstairs, the sleek black town car waited at the curb.

The driver stepped out — mid-forties, neatly pressed suit, a calm, steady demeanor that reminded her vaguely of military discipline.

“Mrs. Pierce?” he asked.

“Amelia,” she corrected with a warm smile. “And you’re Ben?”

“Yes, ma’am. Mr. Pierce asked me to take you wherever you need today.”

Of course he did.

Control wrapped in courtesy.

“Thank you, Ben,” she said as she stepped into the car.

The ride through their maple-lined neighborhood was quiet. Amelia sipped the last of her tea and watched the familiar streets blur by. She used to love mornings — the softness, the stillness, the promise. Now they felt like a countdown to whatever fight she didn’t want to have.

Manhattan came into view quickly, the Bellamy Grand rising like a glass palace. Inside, the ballroom buzzed with organized chaos: florists adjusting towering arrangements, servers polishing silver, lighting techs warming the room with golden ambiance.

It felt good to be needed here.

To be respected.

To hold authority without having to fight for it.

She moved through the ballroom checking linens, sightlines, lighting, moving tables and the silent auction placement. Every detail mattered. And it showed.

Twenty minutes later, Ben was already parked outside, waiting.

The ride to Hearst & Pierce Global felt heavier.

Maybe because she knew Carl was there.

Maybe because this building reminded her of too many years spent pretending everything was fine.

Maybe because fate was nudging her someplace she never expected to be.

The car eased to a stop in front of the skyscraper’s mirrored façade.

Ben opened her door.

“Good luck, Amelia.”

“Thank you,” she said with a small smile before stepping inside.

The lobby was breathtaking, as always — gleaming marble floors, gold-veined pillars, a massive crystal chandelier throwing light like diamonds across the polished surfaces. The air smelled faintly of money and influence.

And then she saw him.

George.

The security guard she’d known for years.

The man who’d rescued her the first time she’d ever visited Carl here, when her name hadn’t been on the visitor list and she’d had to stand there awkwardly pretending to read a sports magazine.

George looked up, saw her, and broke into that warm, genuine smile she appreciated more than he knew.

“Morning, Mrs. Pierce,” he greeted. “Here to see your husband?”

Amelia stepped closer, returning the smile — soft, honest, familiar.

“Yes,” she said, leaning in a little. “And I’m guessing I’m not on the list again, am I?”

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

Omega Bound

Omega Bound

2.6m Views · Ongoing · Veronica White
Ayla Frost is a beautiful, rare omega. Kidnapped, tortured, and trafficked to rogue clans and corrupt alphas to do with as they pleased.  Kept alive in her cage, broken and abandoned by her wolf, she becomes mute and has given up on hope for a better life until one explosion changes everything. 

Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life. 

Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
Reborn 14 Years later: Fix My Broken Family

Reborn 14 Years later: Fix My Broken Family

2k Views · Completed · xinna
Fourteen years ago, Isabella Winston died.

At least, that's what everyone believed.

One moment, she was trapped inside a sinking car beneath the icy waters of the Hudson River. The next, she woke up in her own bathtub and somehow fourteen years in the future.

Her husband is no longer the warm, easygoing man she remembers.

Her five-year-old son is now a nineteen-year-old stranger who looks at her with suspicion.

Her twins barely remember the mother they lost—one forever chasing affection, the other keeping the entire world at arm's length.

And the family she left behind has become something broken, distant, and unrecognizable.

Now Isabella faces an impossible challenge: rebuilding a family that never truly recovered from losing her.

Fourteen years have left scars on everyone.

Unfortunately for those causing the damage, Isabella Winston has returned to set things right.
Mated to Her Alpha Instructor

Mated to Her Alpha Instructor

205.3k Views · Completed · Marina Ellington
I'm Eileen, an outcast at the shifter academy, all because I don't have a wolf. My only saving grace is a knack for healing that got me into the Healer's Division. Then one night in the forbidden woods, I found a stranger on the brink of death. One touch, and something primal snapped between us. That night tied me to him in a way I can't undo.
Weeks later, our new Alpha combat instructor walks in. Regis. The guy from the woods. His eyes lock on mine, and I know he recognizes me. Then the secret I've been hiding hits me like a punch: I'm pregnant.
He has an offer that binds us tighter than ever. Protection… or a cage? Whispers turn ugly, darkness closes in. Why am I the one without a wolf? Is he my salvation… or will he drag me to ruin?
The Princess's Revenge

The Princess's Revenge

64.6k Views · Completed · Xena Kessler
Two nations are at war. Valencia's pack is massacred by Alpha Marcus, and she is enslaved by him. When he dies, she is to be buried alive with him as a sacrifice.

Alpha Logan is an illegitimate son whose mother disappeared when he was 10 years old. He grew up suffering from humiliation and lacking maternal love.

Alpha Logan saves Valencia at Marcus's funeral, which seems to be destined by fate—part of the Moon Goddess's grand plan.

As Valencia accidentally discovers prophecies in Logan's mother's diary that seem to be related to her, the truth gradually surfaces. Valencia appears to be merely a tool in a princess's revenge plot. How will Logan and Valencia navigate their path amid the national war and pack politics?
King of the Underworld

King of the Underworld

114.1k Views · Completed · RJ Kane
In my life as a waitress, I, Sephie - an ordinary person - endured the icy glares and insults of customers while trying to earn a living. I believed that this would be my fate forever.

However, one fateful day, the King of the Underworld appeared before me and rescued me from the clutches of the most powerful Mafia boss's son. With his deep blue eyes fixed on mine, he spoke softly: "Sephie... short for Persephone... Queen of the Underworld. At last, I have found you." Confused by his words, I stammered out a question, “P..pardon? What does that mean?”

But he simply smiled at me and brushed my hair away from my face with gentle fingers: "You are safe now.”


Sephie, named for the Queen of the Underworld, Persephone, she's quickly finding out how she's destined to fulfill her namesake's role. Adrik is the King of the Underworld, the boss of all bosses in the city he runs.

She was a seemingly normal girl, with a normal job until it all changed one night when he walked through the front door and her life changed abruptly. Now, she finds herself on the wrong side of powerful men, but under the protection of the most powerful among them.
Game of Destiny

Game of Destiny

1.3m Views · Completed · Dripping Creativity
Amie's wolf hasn't shown herself. But who cares? She has a good pack, best friends and a family who loves her. Everyone, including the Alpha, is telling her she is perfect just the way she is. That is until she finds her mate and he rejects her. Heartbroken Amie flees from everything and start over. No more werewolves, no more packs.

When Finlay finds her, she is living among humans. He is smitten by the stubborn wolf that refuse to acknowledge his existence. She may not be his mate, but he wants her to be a part of his pack, latent wolf or not.

Amie cant resist the Alpha that comes into her life and drags her back into pack life. Not only does she find herself happier than she has been in a long time, her wolf finally comes to her. Finlay isn't her mate, but he becomes her best friend. Together with the other top wolves in the pack, they work to create the best and strongest pack.

When it's time for the pack games, the event that decides the packs rank for the coming ten year, Amie needs to face her old pack. When she sees the man that rejected her for the first time in ten years, everything she thought she knew is turned around. Amie and Finlay need to adapt to the new reality and find a way forward for their pack. But will the curve ball split them apart?
BROKEN TRUST

BROKEN TRUST

8k Views · Completed · O.J Thewriter
She broke their marriage. He walked away.

Neither of them knew she was carrying his child.

Emily’s affair didn’t just end her marriage—it erased the life she thought was guaranteed. Ryan left without looking back, carrying his anger like armor and leaving Emily alone with regret she would never outrun. Three years later, fate drags them back into each other’s world, along with a little girl who has Ryan’s eyes and a truth that shatters everything he thought he knew.

Old wounds reopen, grief masquerades as rage, and love refuses to stay buried. As parenthood binds them together and the past demands accountability, Emily and Ryan must face the question neither of them is ready to answer: is broken trust the end of their story… or the beginning of a love forged through loss, forgiveness, and brutal honesty?
The mafia princess return

The mafia princess return

951.1k Views · Completed · Tonje Unosen
Talia have been living with her mother, stepsister and Stepfather for years. One day she finally get away from them. Suddenly she learn she have more family out there and she have many people that actually love her, something she have never felt before! At least not as she can remember. She have to learn to trust others, get her new brothers to accept her for who she is!
Cursed Fates

Cursed Fates

1.6k Views · Ongoing · Taylor Ashcraft
Charlotte Sinclair was murdered at the hands of her abusive boyfriend. After dying, she wakes up in the body of another. She pieces together information from her first day as Aribella Voss, realizing that she's been reincarnated into a book she knew all too well. The only problem: She was fated to die in this story as well. She sets out on a mission to ensure that doesn't happen, but when she begins changing important parts of the story, she also changes the plot of the story she knew. Without the upper hand, Aribella no longer has idea what lies in her future.
The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

2m Views · Ongoing · Jaylee
Soft hot lips find the shell of my ear and he whispers, "You think I don't want you?" He pushes his hips forward, grinding into the back of my ass and I groan. "Really?" He chuckles.

"Let me go," I whimper, my body trembling with need. "I don't want you touching me."

I fall forward onto the bed then turn around to stare at him. The dark tattoos of Domonic's chiseled shoulders, quiver and and expand with the heave of his chest. His deep dimpled smile is full of arrogance as he reaches behind himself to lock the door.

Biting his lip, he stalks toward me, his hand going to the seam of his pants and the thickening bulge there.

"Are you sure you don't want me to touch you?" He whispers, untying the knot and slipping a hand inside. "Because I swear to God, that is all I have been wanting to do. Every single day from the moment you stepped in our bar and I smelled your perfect flavor from across the room."


New to the world of shifters, Draven is human on the run. A beautiful girl who no one could protect. Domonic is the cold Alpha of the Red Wolf Pack. A brotherhood of twelve wolves that live by twelve rules. Rules which they vowed could NEVER be broken.

Especially - Rule Number One - No Mates

When Draven meets Domonic, he knows that she is his mate, but Draven has no idea what a mate is, only that she has fallen in love with a shifter. An Alpha that will break her heart to make her leave. Promising herself, she will never forgive him, she disappears.

But she doesn’t know about the child she’s carrying or that the moment she left, Domonic decided rules were made to be broken - and now will he ever find her again? Will she forgive him?
Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon

Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon

498.3k Views · Completed · Riley
My name is Audrey, and I'm the adopted daughter of the Bailey family.
Four years ago, the Bailey family faced a devastating financial crisis.
Just when bankruptcy seemed inevitable, a mysterious benefactor emerged, offering salvation with one condition: a contract marriage.
Rumors swirled about this enigmatic man—whispers claimed he was hideously ugly and too ashamed to show his face, possibly harboring dark, twisted obsessions.
Without hesitation, the Baileys sacrificed me to protect their precious biological daughter, forcing me to take her place as a pawn in this cold, calculated arrangement.
Luckily, in those four years, the mysterious husband never asked to meet in person.
Now, in the final year of our arrangement, the husband I've never met is demanding we meet face to face.
But disaster struck the night before my return—drunk and disoriented, I stumbled into the wrong hotel room and ended up sleeping with the legendary financial mogul, Caspar Thornton.
What the hell am I supposed to do now?
Taste of Fate: The Vampire King's Human Mate

Taste of Fate: The Vampire King's Human Mate

5.9k Views · Ongoing · Miranda Carr
I never knew my blood could kill a king—until I met one. Sebastian, the ruthless and immortal King, rules with precision. For centuries, he's ruled with ruthless precision, his heart as cold as the stone throne beneath him. One moment, I'm nothing. The next, I'm his obsession. His touch burns like ice fire. His stare follows me through shadows. And when he feeds from me—God help me—it feels like drowning in darkness and craving more. He tells me my blood is unlike any he's tasted, that my scent drives him to the edge of madness.


He reached for the back of my head and pulled me up just enough to reach my neck. When his fangs slid into me, the pain was instant, electric. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. My hands found his shoulders, clawing for something to hold. My legs kicked. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

He moaned against my throat as he drank, and the sound was devastating.