The woman in the "after" photo didn't exist. No one wakes up looking like that. But every entrepreneur, every investor, every magazine editor would look at Mika Chen and think: That’s a winner.

The invoice on Aaron’s desk read: The client note read: "Make her look like she just closed a billion-dollar deal, but also like she does hot yoga at 5 AM."

Next: . A new 50% grey layer. With a white brush at 4% opacity, he "dodged" the tops of her cheekbones, the bridge of her nose, the inner corners of her eyes. She looked awake . With a black brush, he "burned" the sides of her nose, the hollow of her neck, the edge of her jawline. He carved her face out of shadow like a sculptor. She didn't look thinner. She looked more present .

Three minutes later, his phone buzzed. The agent.