Alot of us have been suprised that Rebecca's apparent escape from using that Email to Humilate and discredit Ivy and Ethan. That Alistair, the seemingly omniscient villian that he is, has no clue that it was Rebecca that outed Ethan's Paternity, that she choose the time, the place and the manner of this little revelation. But this is not nessecarily true........
I have believed for a long time that Alistair suspected, if not knew, the truth of Ethan's paternity. That he investigated where Ivy when on her wedding night and to whom. That he knew about Sam and Ivy's love affair, prior her marriage to Julian and may have suspected that Sam was the man to whom she ran that night. Old Alistair may have even done a paternity test on Ethan and learned the truth, but concealed the results. After all, as long as it never became public knowledge that Ethan wasn't a Crane, as long as it was a secret, then he could sculpt Ethan into perfect Crane heir.

Given the fact that Alistair has most of Harmony wired for sight and sound and the entire mansion for that matter. That Rebecca and Gwen rehashed the plan a couple of dozen time with in the mansion's walls, before Beccer's learned about the listening devices. That he knew that the Tabloid was running the story of the Paternity Email came from Theresa's computer before Rebecca and Julian told him. That and the fact that Alistair seemingly could care less about Theresa being the one that sent the email that Humilated and opened the Cranes to public ridicule. Suggests to me that Alistair knows just who sent the email and why.

So..... We have the question Why? Why, if Alistair knows or even suspects Rebecca was the one who sent the email, is he letting Rebecca marry Julian? I think that I know the answer.....

Alistair believes in PRIVATE VENGENCE, not Public Justice. By letting Rebecca pursue her goal of becoming the next Mrs. Julian Crane..... He is punishing her privately and not publicly. Look at what has happened to her since she has outed Ethan's paternity. She has become invovled with the Luis imposter fiasco. She has since learned that The Cranes did have something to do with Martin Fitzgerald's disappearance and that if she ever learns the truth about this... it could cost her... her life. She is directly involved with a plot to murder Sheridan, Julian's sister. Add to this the fact that Alistair could care less if Gwen, her daughter, dies as a result of his plan to kill Sheridan or that if it fails.... that her life can be fortfeit as well.

Rebecca's dreams of wealth, power and social status have quickly become her own private little hell, a living nightmare. Where she is not in control of her destiny, where she cannot seduce, bribe, threaten or blackmail her way out. She has now been drawn into Alistair's world, where he is the undisputed master and she..... She is expendable.

So? Can we really say that Rebecca has gotten away with it? Gotten away with Humilating the Cranes publicly by outing Ethan's Patrernity? Upon a second look, it appears that Alistair has decided to keep his friends close and his enemies.... namely one Rebecca Hotchkiss, even closer. Exacting a private vengence upon her for her crimes against the Crane Empire.

What do you think?